A crack cocaine addict who pointed a gun at a garda 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 (26), of Sackville Ave, Ballybough, Dublin, 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 he co-operated with some of the Garda investigations.
Harris, who has 27 previous convictions, was involved in a high-speed car chase after a robbery armed with a knife. All the crimes were committed while on bail.
Garda Shay Woods told 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 23rd, 2006. The men led gardaí on a high-speed chase during which they drove on the wrong side of the road and through red lights before crashing into a wall.
Garda Woods said Harris was taken to Santry Garda station where he 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 Garda Woods.