By james art A kidnapper who threatened to cut a motorist’s throat with a Stanley knife before taking his car in west Belfast has been jailed.
Judge Sandra Crawford told Roy Irvine that he will spend half of his 42-month sentence in custody and the rest under supervision.
Irvine (28), of Whitecliff Parade in west Belfast, previously pleaded guilty to carjacking, burglary and driving without insurance.
Belfast Crown Court heard that on the morning of December 27, 2022, Irvine seized control of the Citroen C3 after breaking into a nearby house to steal Christmas presents and up to £2,000 in cash.
The prosecution claimed the owner of the Citroen was flagged down while parked outside a convenience store on Cavendish Street.
Irvine approached the victim and told him: “Stop crying and get out of the car now or I will cut your throat. I carry a Stanley knife inside me.
The defendant drove off with the car, and on the way out he crashed into another parked car.
The court heard that a short time later the Citroen was abandoned in Moyard Park after crashing into a wall.
Irvine is also accused of stealing aftershave, perfume, an iPad and cash from a house on Crocus Street that morning. He broke into the house and rummaged through the bags of Christmas presents and threw them away when he arrived at the Vivo store.
The resident who was robbed told police that gift bags and cards containing between £1,500 and £2,000 in cash were taken.
Irvine was linked to the crimes through video surveillance footage near the store and an eyewitness account at the scene of the crash.
Defense barrister Paul Burns told the court: “He fully accepts responsibility. It is abundantly clear this morning that he was under the influence and acting erratically.
He added that there was no pre-planning and his client acted in a “random manner” and was always going to be caught due to CCTV in the area of the store.
Mr Burns also spoke of his client’s struggles from an early age and had suffered tragedies, including the death of his mother when he was 13, which led to mental health problems.
A pre-sentence report prepared by the Probation Service rated Irvine as highly likely to re-offend, but said he did not pose a danger to society in the future.
Irvine told a probation officer he wanted to convey his apologies to his victims. Judge Crawford also imposed a consecutive sentence of six months in custody because Irvine was in breach of probation at the time of the kidnapping.