THOMAS Clarke, who was released by an armed and masked gang from a prison van, has been jailed for six years for escaping from lawful custody.
Judge Kevin Haugh has ordered that the six year sentence is to run consecutive to a total of six years and three months imposed on Clarke last year by two courts.
He is also serving a concurrent 12 year sentence imposed in November, 1996, for a series of robberies and another concurrent five year sentence imposed in January, 1996, for robbery, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told.
Clarke (27), a single father of two, of Keeper Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty to escaping from the lawful custody of the Governor of Portlaoise Prison on April 25th, 1996, at Naas Road, Clondalkin. He went to Holland and was extradited back from there.
Det Sgt Anthony Hughes told Mr Paul O'Higgins SC, prosecuting, that when Clarke escaped he was being brought to Dublin District Court in a prison van to face the charges for which he was jailed for 12 years in November last.
Det Sgt Hughes said three prison officers accompanied Clarke. The prison van stopped at traffic lights opposite the Green Isle Hotel behind a small Peugeot car. When a BMW in front again reversed into the Peugeot, the garda driver sensed danger and pulled into the filter lane.
The BMW also pulled into the filter lane and two men got out. One was armed with a revolver and covered the second man who had a wire cutter. This man smashed the prison van windows and Clarke put his handcuffed hands out towards the masked men.
Det Sgt Hughes told Mr O'Higgins (with Mr Padraig O'Dwyer) that Clarke was pulled down by two of the prison officers but got up again and was heard to call on them to release his handcuffs. This was done and he escaped out through the van window and into the BMW.
Clarke has 22 previous convictions dating back to March 7th, 1980. He is due for release in the year 2005 from the 12 year sentence.
Det Sgt Hughes said Clarke was given a five year sentence in January, 1996, by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for robbery, with the final year suspended. He had a concurrent five year sentence imposed in March, 1996, also for robbery.
Dublin District Court imposed, a 12 months and a three months sentence on him in April, 1996, and ordered that these two sentences run consecutive to each other and also consecutive to the five year sentence in March.
Judge Haugh said he had to impose a consecutive sentence to those terms because Clarke escaped from lawful custody while serving them.