Burglar who attacked elderly priest with iron bar jailed

A father of two who left an elderly Dublin priest with a fractured skull and multiple facial cuts after he attacked him with an iron bar during a burglary has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Gardaí discovered Fr Diarmuid Byrne (70) in his home in Rialto covered in blood, dazed and confused. There was blood splattered on the walls and floors. He was later treated for a fractured skull and received 26 stitches to numerous facial wounds.

A bloodstained iron bar was discovered near the priest’s home after his neighbours alerted gardaí to a disturbance.

Shane Cooney (24) of Lismore Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary and assaulting Fr Byrne causing him harm on St Anthony’s Road, Rialto, on October 16th, 2013.

He has 74 previous convictions for robbery, attempted robbery, hijacking, firearms, assault, public order, road traffic offences, criminal damage and possession of drugs.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a five-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended. She noted the age of the victim and the effect the attack had on him.

The court heard gardaí arrived at the priest’s home at 1.30am after being contacted by his neighbours. They got into the house from the back garden and discovered the priest standing on the stairs very confused and covered in blood. Nothing had been taken from the house but it had been ransacked.

A victim impact report and medical report were handed into court but not read out. The court heard Fr Byrne had difficulty sleeping and suffered dizzy spells. He initially remained in his home but has since moved away.

Michael Bowman SC, defending, said Cooney had “ever increasing difficulties” going back to July 2008 and he started to use heroin first while in prison. Counsel said his client had since attended drug treatment and was progressing well there.