Man (26) who stabbed pensioner in head with screwdriver while on bail is jailed

David Raleigh

A young man who stabbed an elderly man in the head while attempting to rob him, while on bail for endangering the lives of two gardaí, will serve seven and half years in jail.

Sean Byrnes, (26), attacked the then 70-year old victim after the man caught him trying to steal a window from a caravan located on his land, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard.

When the man, now 74, confronted Byrnes and took his photo on his mobile phone, Byrnes knocked him to the ground, punched, kicked and stabbed him in the head with a screwdriver, whilst demanding the man give him the mobile phone.

Byrnes, who was before the court with an address at Limerick City Hotel, Dock Road, Limerick, pleaded guilty to assaulting the man causing him harm; producing a screwdriver during the course of the assault; and attempted robbery.

The “vicious” and “savage” attack occurred at Broadford, Co Limerick, in May 2024.

The victim, who did not wish to be identified, wrote in a victim impact statement how he thought he was going to die at the hands of Byrnes.

“I was stabbed a number of times in the head, kicked in the ribs for what felt like an eternity...It was a savage attack,” the man wrote.

“I worked hard all my life, I get flashbacks of it, and it is a fright to God to feel so vulnerable.”

“He (Byrnes) kept hitting and kicking me, I thought he was going to kill me.”

The man’s daughter described it as a “heartbreaking incident” for her father as well as her family, who they court heard remain shaken by the attack.

The man sustained lacerations and multiple bruises to his head and eyes and required seven stitches to his scalp.

“It has greatly affected my life. Every morning I have to remind myself that my attacker won’t be able hurt me now, but it has greatly affected my life, having someone come at you and attack you so viciously.”

“I worked hard all my life, I get flashbacks of it, and it is a fright to God to feel so vulnerable.”

Garda forensic analysis of the screwdriver Byrnes left at the scene revealed human DNA which was a match for Byrnes’ DNA, it was heard.

The victim did not let go of his mobile phone despite Byrnes raining kicks into him and shouting at him “no fucking photos”.

In the end, the photo of Byrnes captured on the man’s phone helped corroborate the man’s allegation against Byrnes.

When he attacked the elderly man, Byrnes was on bail twice for two separate endangerment offences, one in September, 19th 2019, and the other on June 23rd 2021, when he rammed a garda car endangering the lives of two gardaí.

The latter occurred when Byrnes drove a BMW car to Ballingarry Post Office, Co Limerick, to collect a social welfare payment.

Byrnes observed Garda Michael McNamara and Ollie O’Sullivan, drive their unmarked patrol car into the carpark of the post office.

The two gardai were there to arrest Byrnes who at the time was on three outstanding arrest warrants.

When Garda McNamara approached Byrnes’s vehicle, identified himself, and opened Byrnes’s front passenger door, Byrnes reversed the BMW at speed with Garda McNamara still “hanging onto the front passenger door”, prosecuting barrister, Lily Buckley told the court.

Byrnes, who was disqualified from driving at the time, drove the BMW forward colliding with the unmarked patrol car before “speeding away” from the “chaotic” scene.

Byrnes, who has 27 previous convictions, was eventually arrested on November 11th 2024. He was detained in custody thereafter having refused bail at the Limerick District Court and the High Court.

Byrnes initially tried to convince gardai that he was not the driver on the day, and lied to gardaí that he had sold the BMW on prior to the ramming.

He eventually pleaded guilty to endangerment and causing criminal damage to the garda car.

Byrnes barrister, Liam Carroll, said the attack on the elderly man was “something Mr Byrnes will regret forever”; he said Byrnes was from a respectful family, but had “lost his way”.

Asking the court for leniency, Mr Carroll argued the assault was “not premeditated” and Byrnes had “panicked” when he saw the man taking his photo.

Byrnes apologised and said he was “ashamed” of his “horrible” actions, adding, “I deserve to be punished”.

Judge Colin Daly noted Byrnes had been a model prisoner while in custody in Limerick Prison awaiting sentence.

The judge jailed Byrnes for four years in respect of the attack and attempted robbery, plus an additional two years along with a ten year road ban for the endangerment of the two gardaí.

The judge directed the sentences run consecutively to an 18-month prison sentence Byrnes is currently serving in respect of the 2019 endangerment.