Larry Dunne, who was sentenced to 14 years for heroin supply in 1985, has been given a three-month sentence at Dublin District Court for beating a detective with a bamboo cane during a drug search at his nephew's home two years ago.
Dunne (52), of Carrickmount Downs, Rathfarnham, Dublin, denied assaulting a national drugs team member, Det Garda John O'Doherty, during a search for cocaine at Weaver's Square, Dublin, in January 1999.
In 1985 Dunne received a 14year prison sentence for heroin supply and had 33 previous convictions.
He was released in 1995 and did not come into conflict with the law until two years ago when he was visiting the Weaver's Square home of his nephew, Mr Laurence Gartland.
Dunne claimed yesterday that he was not aware the nine officers who arrived to search the house were gardai because they were wearing plain clothes.
He believed they were a gang of vigilantes and fought them because he thought he was going to be killed when he saw a pistol being waved about.
Drug squad officers told the court that when they arrived at the house they called out, identifying themselves, and two of them were wearing bibs with "Garda" on them.
Through an interior glass panel door they saw Dunne and Mr Gartland with a 15ft skirting board plank in their hands.
They used the plank to smash through one of the door's glass panels, narrowly missing one of the officers.
Gardai broke down this door, and Dunne picked up a 5ft baton-thick bamboo cane and started hitting Det Garda O'Doherty a number of times.
Judge William Hamill imposed three months' imprisonment and set leave to appeal in Dunne's own bond of £500 with an independent surety of £1,000.