A MOTHER-of-three jailed for dragging a garda along behind a car as she drove while high on crack cocaine has been spared additional prison time for hiding in a house after the rampage.

Christina Joyce (30) was given four-and-a-half years last month for recklessly endangering the life of Garda Thomas Gallagher, who was seriously injured and thought he was going to die as he was dragged for 50 metres.

Now Joyce has been given another four-month sentence for trespassing by “seeking refuge” in a house while trying to evade capture. However, Judge John Cheatle made the sentence concurrent to the prison term she is already serving.

Joyce, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to trespassing at Waterloo Road, Dublin 4, on April 9.

Dublin District Court heard that after the incident in which Gda Gallagher was injured, Joyce trespassed at the house in a bid to evade gardai.

Defence solicitor Michael French said Joyce had “sought refuge” and apologised.

She was now doing her best in prison and was actively engaging in various courses, Mr French said.

Separately, Joyce pleaded guilty to possession of €15 of cocaine in Tara Street on March 18. The court heard that gardai stopped and searched her and found three small bags of the drug on her.

Joyce was jailed last month by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after she pleaded guilty to endangering Gda Gallagher, assault causing him harm and other charges.

The incident happened in the south of the city when the officer, who was on checkpoint duty, was hit and dragged about 50 metres as he attempted to stop a grey Volvo.

He was taken to hospital where he was treated for a dislocated knee and shoulder injury.

Gda Gallagher told the circuit court he felt he had to hold on to the door of the Volvo to stop himself from being pulled under the vehicle.

“There was nothing I could do. If I let go I would be dragged under the car. I had nowhere to go,” he said.

“I accepted at that stage I was dead. The speed we were going I thought there was no way I wouldn’t be killed.”

The officer told the court he noticed that Joyce seemed to be driving in the direction of a parked car so he felt he had to let go of the door. He fell to the ground and skidded into the parked car.

He said he was convinced at that point that “everything below my knee was gone, that it was shattered. I consider myself extremely lucky that I am alive and able to walk”.

Online Editors