A MAN who stabbed another man during a cocaine-fueled row was jailed for five years with the final year suspended.
Stephen Byrnes (33) stabbed Damien Fitzpatrick in the back and abdomen during a row over how to use cocaine at Mr Byrnes’ home.
Mr Byrnes, of Geraldine House, Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick City, denied one count of assault causing harm and one count of production of a knife during the assault, however a jury found him guilty of both offences following a trial at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan told Byrnes’ sentencing hearing that the assault on Mr Fitzpatrick occurred during a “heavy session of drink and drugs’ at the defendant’s home.
On November 18, 2023, Byrnes drove himself, Mr Fitzpatrick, and a female from his home to Kerry, where Fitzpatrick was residing at the time.
They returned to Limerick the same day and went back to Byrnes’ house where “more cocaine was delivered”, said Mr O’Sullivan.
Byrnes and Fitzpatrick had “an argument about how to use the cocaine and Mr Byrnes stabbed Mr Fitzpatrick twice” in the early hours of November 19.
Gardaí were alerted to the scene and the female identified Byrnes as the attacker.
When Gardaí entered Byrnes’ home, they found drugs, drug paraphernalia, and fresh blood stains.
Byrnes initially denied stabbing Fitzpatrick, claiming instead that he himself had been stabbed. He eventually told Gardaí he stabbed Fitzpatrick but claimed he stabbed him in self defence. This story was rejected by the jury at Byrnes’ trial.
Mr O’Sullivan said the prosecution accepted that Byrnes did not set out to stab Fitzpatrick.
The court heard Byrnes had previous convictions, including for assault causing harm and production of articles capable of inflicting harm.
Judge Colin Daly said he was satisfied that a headline sentence of five years was appropriate.
The judge said that although there was “little by way of mitigation”, he was reducing Byrnes’ sentence having heard submissions from his barrister that he had “grown up in a house where drug use was the norm”.
In respect of the assault charge, Byrnes was jailed for five years with the final 12 months suspended. He received a three-year sentence for the production of the knife, to run concurrent to the four-year sentence.
Byrnes entered a bond of €100, which did not have to be lodged, pledging to engage with a 12-month post release probation service supervision order and to keep the peace for a year after his release.
– Court Reporting Scheme