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A MAN WHO threatened to kill hotel staff who found cannabis in his room has avoided jail.
Keith Byrne (32), who has 44 previous convictions, made threats to staff members at the time and told them: “I have a barrister on speed dial.” He has since completed a rehabilitation program.
Byrne, of Ballyogan Lawn, Carrickmines, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis herb valued at €300 and making threats to kill or cause serious harm to staff at Bewleys Hotel, Sandyford, on 15 February 2014.
Judge Melanie Greally said Byrne had engaged in extremely violent conduct towards members of staff and issued “credible and very frightening threats”. She said the value of the drugs was not significant but noted it was accompanied by drug preparation materials.
She noted he had since completed a residential rehabilitation programme and there was a largely favourable probation report before the court. She said he had taken impressive steps to turn his life around and believed it would be counter productive to incarcerate him at this point.
Judge Greally imposed a two year sentence which she suspended for two years on strict conditions.
On the original sentence date last October, Garda Sean Balfe told Fionnuala O’Sullivan BL, prosecuting, that night staff had observed different people coming and going from a particular room in the hotel. At about 2am, Byrne, a guest in that room, and another man came down to the lobby.
When staff said the second man had to remain in the lobby as he was not a guest, Byrne became abusive. When asked by a staff member to calm down, Byrne responded by saying he would slit him “from ear to ear”.
“My sister is a solicitor and I have a barrister on speed dial,” he told staff.
He then told staff his girlfriend was ill in the room and a staff member went upstairs to check. A woman answered the door and he asked her to come downstairs. The staff member saw a large bag which seemed to contain “weed” and brought the bag downstairs.
Downstairs, Byrne was overheard saying the gardaí were on the way and telling someone to get the “stuff from under the bed”. Byrne then told a staff member that he would murder him.
When Byrne discovered the staff member had the bag of cannabis herb, he produced a screwdriver and threatened to stab the man. He then fled the scene.
In garda interviews, Byrne took responsibility for the drugs and said he was trying to get rid of them in a “quick sale”. He accepted he had been in an argument with staff members.
The court heard one staff member has since left his job and the second staff member did not wish to make a victim impact statement.
Barry Ward BL, defending, said Byrne was now free from any substance abuse and had not come to any further garda attention. He said Byrne had made substantial progress and was in employment.
He submitted that this was a drug-fuelled event but that his recent engagement with rehabilitation had been “exemplary”.
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What a pity! The political class and the many chancers in public life have no one left who will challenge them. Time to circle the wagons.
As television in ireland continues to go down the road of the bland leading the bland,I think it’s safe to say we will won’t see his likes of Vincent anytime soon. Unless Gene Kerrigan fancies turning his hand to TV?
Vincent was the only one to ask the right questions and stick it to politicians and the like. Never one to be fobbed off. Well done
A cantankerous contrary old git. Never though he got the best out of his guests because they were constantly on edge with him.
@mickmc: like many of us he had a total aversion to the bullsh*t most politicians and media feed us with on a daily basis.
@mickmc: Which is to say what? He upset the politicians who are used to being given a verbal lap dance by the likes of Miriam O’Callaghan or Pat the plank???
@Martin Critten: Yes that’s true but I’m not sure his style of interviewing cut through it either. Sometimes you have to be clever about these things and tease the issue out unknowns to the interviewee.
@mickmc: Put your money where your mouth is and apply to replace him, mick
@Tony Skillington: If he was doing his job properly he wouldn’t be there to upset anyone, just give sensible debate to the issues of the day. VB was only interested in himself getting points across.
@mickmc: hi joan !
@Chris Kirk: I disagree completely, Chris. It was VB’s job to hold these people accountable, not just to give them another platform like they already had on RTE. If he wasn’t grilling them and making them squirm (knowing what we now know about the level of corruption in government), then he wasn’t doing his job. It was a very valuable service he provided in tandem with exemplary journalistic skills.
It was his job to expose BS. If he never upset anyone, the whole program would’ve been pointless.
@Joe Phillips: he held no one to account, he was making tv, nothing more nothing less. It was mildly entertaining but nothing more.
Listening to you would would swear it was the public accounts committee he was running.
@james connolly: no offence, james, but you’re not a reasonable commentator and I don’t know how to talk to you without paper and crayons.
@Joe Phillips: Try balloons and buckets of confetti , he seems to like clowns .
@Chris Kirk: RTE have been giving ‘sensible debates’ for 30 years and are frightened of upsetting the hand that feeds them. VB while acerbic in his questioning at times, does what any good journalist should do…shake up the political elite and cut through the horse $h1t that RTE seem only too happy to dole out. He is a breath of fresh air in public broadcasting and I applaud him for being so.
@Joe Phillips: Did I in any way suggest I had the knowledge or the skill to do his job. You don’t have to be good at a job to recognise when someone else is doing a equally bad job too. I don’t think I ever make it as a premier league footballer at this stage, but that doesn’t say I wouldn’t recognise a bad one when I’d see him.
Thanks Vinny for making politics interesting and being our cat among the pigeons.
TheJournal.ie, how many articles have you published on this guy’s last show? I’m not sure you’ve got the finger on the pulse of the nation on this one.
Yes, acknowledged it but you’re milking a very average news story over the past three days.
Why did Glenda feel the need to capture the choir on her smartphone? Could she not have merely recorded the bleedin’ show? Yours, etc.
@shouldweallbe: I agree! It just seems to be an automatic reaction for so many. They miss the actual core of what’s happening while trying to get a balanced photo on the phone! But what I couldn’t take my eyes off was Mary Lou smiling! She looked so different and quite lovely!!!!
I didn’t bother watching it after his vomit inducing lovefest with the Leo the previous night.
@Dante Marquinhos: That’ll show him who’s boss!
@Honeybadger197:Oh I’d say you showed yourself who’s boss watching Leo the other night. That’s the thing about you Blueshirts, were other political supporters just follow their respective parties, you Blueshirts treat them like they are a boyband and you are a bunch of 14 year old girls with a crush.
Extremely bizarre and disturbing behaviour from supporters of a political party.
@Dante Marquinhos: Dry your eyes Dante. I’m sure in time you’ll forgive Vincent for talking to a Taoiseach and making you all upset and nauseous. I hope this helps x
http://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-vomiting-remedies
@Dante Marquinhos: Talks about lovefest between presenter and politician, talks about sexual infatuation with politicians regularly… Methinks the Dante doth protest too much! Tell me Dante, how did this predilection for politicians first present itself?
@Dante Marquinhos: “Psychological projection is a defense mechanism people subconsciously employ in order to cope with difficult feelings or emotions. Psychological projection involves projecting undesirable feelings or emotions ontosomeone else, rather than admitting to or dealing with the unwanted feelings”
Its not your fault Dante. Its not your fault.
@Honeybadger197: Good, the first step is admitting you have a problem. Well done Honey, you’re on the road to recovery. Best of luck!
@Dante Marquinhos: Yes, would you please admit you have a problem.
@Dante Marquinhos: Few things in life as funny as a triggered shinnerbot. You never disappoint.
@Dante Marquinhos: Yep , disappointed with that one myself , perhaps if Vincent will do “one offs” in the future he can do a real interview with this smarmy git
The underclasses though VB shows was about politics, everyone else saw it for the entertainment show it was.
@james connolly: VB having a laugh at everyone elses expense
@Chris Kirk: exactly.
#gutted
About as politically astute as my dead hamster, give me Andrew Marr and Andrew Neil any day of the week.
I hope he still pops up on TV3 or somewhere else from time to time. It would help with the DTs!
I liked his no nonsense couldn’t give a flying f*ck who you are approach.
So apart from Gene Kerrigan what other journalist do we have that has the balls to take on the establishment .(Sorry ladies not meant to be a misogynist comment )
Good riddance. A rude belligerent individual with no redeeming features. His interruptions made Cathal Mc Coille look like an amateur.
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