A drug addict was jailed for 10 years by Judge Kieran O'Connor in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday for a "horrific litany" of syringe attacks and other robberies.
Bradford Meehan (27), Stana way Road, Crumlin, brother of Mr Brian Meehan, who is held in a prison near Amsterdam and facing extradition in connection with the murder of the journalist Veronica Guerin, pleaded guilty to almost 30 charges, involving robberies, assault and taking a car.
He apologised to his victims from the witness box and was granted leave to seek a review of his sentence in four years' time, on condition he was clear of all drugs for nine months before that date and availed of the education facilities in prison.
He has been in custody on these charges since July 1997 but is also serving District Court sentences.
Gardai said an assortment of weapons, including an imitation gun, blood-filled syringes, knives and iron bars were carried by Meehan or an accomplice during almost daily raids carried out on a bank, shops and service stations from 1995 to 1997.
Meehan threatened to stab his victims unless he was given money. On occasions he also took a single cigarette packet from a shop.
Garda Michael Lynch said a man was accidently pricked with a blood-filled syringe as Meehan robbed him at an ATM machine on May 16th, 1997. The blood did not contain any contagious disease.
On July 24th, 1995, Meehan walked into the Allied Irish Banks branch in Upper O'Connell Street and handed a teller a note demanding money. He had the imitation gun in the band of his trousers. He escaped with £1,206 but admitted the offence when arrested later.
The court heard each of the other robberies yielded little more than £100. Many of the premises were robbed on more than one occasion by Meehan. He never wore a mask and was often identified from security videos.
On May 17th, 1997, a man accused Meehan of selling him "rips" (fake heroin) at Fatima Mansions. Meehan hit him over the head with a bottle.
The victim tried to walk away, but Meehan followed him on a bicycle and plunged scissors into his back. He was not seriously injured.
Defence counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins, said Meehan had been "out of control" on drugs for 18 months when he committed the "reign of chaos".
Judge O'Connor said Meehan had been a gifted student and could have gone to college if he had not left school early. "You could have become a professional person. The whole world was open to you but you threw it away," he said.