Addict attacked pair with hammer

A drug addict who attacked an 81-year-old man and his daughter in their home with a claw hammer has received a nine-year prison sentence.

The two victims were left with cuts and bruises to their heads and chests after Alex Harris (32) assaulted them.

Harris claimed he and a female accomplice had been dropped off at the house by third parties and told to get €100,000 from a safe inside to offset a drugs debt.

He later told gardaí he brought the claw hammer to pull up floorboards to get to the safe and had not intended to hurt anyone.

The two burglars had also brought cable ties, and at one stage they tried to tie the elderly man's hands.

Assault
Harris, of Sackville Avenue, Ballybough, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to aggravated burglary and assaulting William O'Connor and his daughter, Martina O'Connor, at their home on April 4th, 2013.

He also pleaded guilty to burglary, endangerment, criminal damage to a Garda car and assaulting Garda John Fitzgerald at St Vincent’s Hospital, Fairview, on August 20th, 2012.

Harris has 52 previous convictions, and was on bail for the St Vincent’s Hospital offences when he broke into Mr O’Connor’s home.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a sentence of six years for the aggravated burglary and suspended the last year.

She imposed a three-year sentence for the earlier incident. The sentences are consecutive by law because Harris was on bail on the earlier offence when he carried out the burglary.

Garda Aine Watkins told Martina Baxter, prosecuting, that Mr O'Connor's daughter had taken his wife to a shopping centre when the intruders showed up at his home. Mr O'Connor told gardaí he had opened the door to the pair after he heard them knock.

Intruders
Harris struggled with the elderly man and both intruders ended up on top of the victim in the kitchen.

Mr O’Connor’s daughter arrived home and found Harris inside. She pulled him out into the garden and he hit her on the head with his hammer.

Gardaí arrived on the scene and tracked the culprits to a shopping centre.

Judge Ring said a psychological report showed Harris was at a very high risk of reoffending.