Either Lir is a troll/kook who feels that his/her vandalism/views must be posted on the Wikipedia to such a degree that he is speaking privately to people, promising to abide by the rules, even helping research an article I'd like to contribute to just to betray us all and be one of the bad ones who do everything that they can to make Wikipedia work...

Or they're a generally nice guy, capable of being a good contributor, who started off on the wrong foot and didn't understand the rules or the spirit of Wikipedia and looked like a jackass as a result.

When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.

Users can be banned again, articles can be reverted, and vandalism never lasts long. If there's a strong sign that Lir truly has mended their evil ways, why not give 'em a shot?