A MAN who threatened gardai with AIDS when he attacked them with a blood filled syringe in an escape attempt has been given a total of nine years imprisonment.
But Stephen Darby (22), of Clocherboy Park, Navan, Co Meath, will only serve three years of the sentence unless he re offends after his release.
Judge Kieran O'Connor at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed three consecutive three year sentences on Darby but suspended the final six.
The court heard Darby had 19 previous convictions since his first when only 11 years old and has spent most of his life since then in detention.
Insp Hubert Collins agreed with Mr Sean Moylan, defending that Darby did not have AIDS and the syringe contained his own blood.
Darby pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody on January 9th, 1996, and to three further charges of assaulting Sgt Brian FitzPatrick, Garda Anthony Shields and Garda William Dillane, occasioning them actual bodily harm on the same occasion.
Insp Collins said Darby produced the syringe while being transported in a Garda van from Monaghan District Court on remand to Mountjoy Prison.
He demanded to be released and in the course of a struggle blood was sprayed around the van.
Darby escaped on to the road but after a short chase he was stopped and arrested.
Sgt FitzPatrick was cut on the left hand, had a tooth filling displaced and was off work for 11 weeks. Garda Shields was stabbed in his right hand with the syringe and Garda Dillane was bitten on the forearm.