A 38-year-old man has been jailed for seven years for a series of offences which saw him attack a garda, steal his 4x4 and then go on the rampage in Cork city centre and at Cork Airport where he narrowly missed a passenger jet in a stolen airport vehicle.
Edmond Stapleton, originally from Dublin Hill in Cork but previously of no fixed abode, was given a 12-year-sentence with five years suspended by Judge Sean O Donnabhain at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for a series of 12 offences in Cork on May 22nd, 2011
Judge O Donnabhain said there was no doubt Stapleton was a violent and aggressive man who had put people's lives in danger by his actions on the day and he noted how citizens in Cork city centre had to run for safety when he drove down pedestrianised streets.
He had shown a frighteningly high level of violence in attacking Gda Michael Bohane with a knife and taking his 4x4 and he had shown a complete disregard for the safety of others as he drove from Cork city centre onto the apron at Cork Airport.
"You presented a real live danger to other drivers, workers and passengers on board two aircraft," said Judge O Donnabhain as he recalled evidence from airport staff that up to 400 people could have been killed or injured if he had collided with fully-fuelled planes.
Earlier, the court heard from Gda Bohane, Det Garda Emmet Daly and airport policeman Michael Delaney, all of whom told how they feared that they were going to die after Stapleton either threatened them at knifepoint or rammed them in one of the stolen vehicles.
Judge O Donnabhain said that Stapleton had displayed a surprising level of determination and preparation in his actions but he was extremely fortunate to have survived his escapade as, had it happened in some other jurisdictions, lethal force would have been applied.
In that regard, Sgt Dan Coholan of the armed Regional Support Unit was to be commended for not firing his submachine gun at Stapleton, who was disarmed with non-lethal weaponry. "Sgt Coholan's response was professionalism of the highest standard," he said
Judge O Donnabhain noted evidence from Supt Charlie Barry that Stapleton had a previous conviction for possessing drugs for sale or supply in 1998 while there was also a bench warrant in existence for him for other drug offences at the time of this incident.
It seemed that he had gone native and was living in the bush following the issuing of this warrant, said Judge O'Donnabhain, adding that Stapleton had a chronic history of drug abuse and a history of meeting with psychiatric services but failing to engage and commit to them.
Prosecution barrister, Pearse Sreenan BL told Judge O Donnabhain that the maximum penalty available to the court was for the unlawful seizure of an airport vehicle at knifepoint which carried 15 years while the other offences carried lesser sentences down to six months.
Judge O Donnabhain said he was anxious to provide some structure to Stapleton's sentence upon completion of detention and he sentenced him to 12 years on the unlawful seizure charge but suspended the final five for a period of seven years on a number of conditions.
These included that Stapleton would work under the Probation Service upon his release, would remain drug free and submit to urine analysis and would comply with any Probation Service recommendation regarding psychiatric or drug treatment.
