Drug addict who spat blood in garda's face gets 14 years for robbery
A crack cocaine addict who pointed a gun at a gardaí who arrived at the scene of a robbery and who later spat blood at a garda has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for four armed raids and other offences.
Alex Harris (aged 26), of Sackville Ave, Ballybough, pleaded guilty to the robberies and an attempted robbery, on dates between November 2005 and November 2006.
Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended the last six years of the sentence after she took into consideration Harris's guilty pleas and the fact that he co-operated with some of the garda investigations.
Harris, who has 27 previous convictions, was involved in a high speed car chase after carrying out a robbery armed with a knife. When he was later apprehended by the gardaí he spat blood in one garda's face.
All the crimes were committed while on bail and during one raid Harris pointed a gun at members of the gardaí who arrived on the scene. He refused to drop the weapon when ordered to do so and fought with gardaí.
Garda Shay Woods told Mr Damien Colgan BL, prosecuting, that Harris and another man threatened staff members with a knife during a robbery at Centra on Shantalla Road on November 23, 2006.
The men then lead gardaí on a high speed chase during which they drove on the wrong side of the road and through red lights before losing control of the car and crashing into a wall.
Gda Woods said Harris was taken to Santry Garda station where he threw blood from a minor injury sustained in the crash on the walls and spat blood at gardaí who entered his cell to take him to hospital.
Harris was returned to the station after receiving treatment and was being taken to a cell when he pulled a catheter out of his arm and sprayed blood at Gda Woods.
Detective Garda Ian Brunton told Mr Colgan that Harris attempted to rob Paddy Powers bookmakers on North Strand Road with an imitation firearm on July 25, 2006.
Harris entered the store with another man and approached the counter where he threatened the staff member that he would "blow your fucking head off" if she did not hand over money. He was nominated as a suspect after gardai viewed CCTV and he was arrested following a search of his house.
Det. Gda Brunton agreed with Mr Luigi Rea BL, defending, that Harris had used a toy gun during the robbery and that he had shown remorse when interviewed by gardai.
Mr Rea told Judge Katherine Delahunt that his client had a crack cocaine addiction and had been taking drugs since he was 16 years old. He said that although Harris's victim's had been "terrorised" during the robberies nobody had been struck or beaten.
He said he had tried "to seek rehabilitation for his habit" and was extremely remorseful to both the gardaí and his victims for his behaviour.
