Man jailed for 18 months for stabbing neighbour over row over mobile phone

By Declan Brennan

A man who stabbed his neighbour in a dispute over an alleged stolen mobile phone has been jailed for 18 months.

Scott Byrne (31) stabbed Jamie Shortt (28) after Byrne’s friend had alleged that somebody in Shortt’s flat had taken his mobile phone.

The missing mobile phone was later found in Byrne’s flat and had never been stolen, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Garda Sean Tyrell told the court that on the evening of July 11, 2020, Byrne and others were having a party to mark the birthday of a six year old relative. Byrne and two others then joined a party in another flat, occupied by Mr Shortt.

Gda Tyrell said that some people were drinking and taking cocaine at the party, which carried on into the next morning.

Byrne and his friends then left and went back to their flat, but Byrne’s friend then couldn’t find his mobile phone and decided he had left it in Mr Shortt’s flat.

Byrne and two others went to Mr Shortt’s flat and forced their way in.

Byrne was armed with a knife and Mr Shortt locked himself in a bathroom.

When Byrne and the others left, Mr Shortt armed himself with a claw hammer and went up to Byrne’s flat.

CCTV footage showed him walking in the corridor of the flat complex stripped to his waist and holding the hammer.

The court heard that he knocked twice on the other flat. Byrne was holding a knife when he opened the door and stabbed the victim six to eights time around the shoulder and neck.

Mr Shortt suffered superficial injuries and has made a full recovery, the court heard.

Gardaí were called to the scene and entered Byrne’s first floor flat, but Byrne tried to get away by jumping out a back window.

He was caught by gardaí who were standing at ground level and was still dressed in blood soaked clothes.

The court heard he was not fit for interview for another six hours. He then told gardaí he had taken drink and drugs on the night and couldn’t remember much.

Byrne of Lindisfarne Green, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, subsequently pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault causing harm at Main Street., Rathcoole in west Dublin.

His 16 previous convictions include burglary, thefts and violent disorder.

Paul Greene SC, defending, said his client acknowledged to gardai that he “was caught red-handed” and he was shocked at his actions and remorseful.

He said Byrne was grieving a relative and had turned to alcohol and drugs at the time.

Judge Martin Nolan said using a knife to assault somebody was a serious matter and required a custodial sentence.

He imposed the sentence to run from today.