A GARDA has said he expected to die the day a woman, who was high on crack cocaine, accelerated away as he was attempting to seize her vehicle.

Garda Thomas Gallagher, 39, read his victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing of Christina Joyce, 30, who was later jailed for four and half years.

4 Gallagher was left severely injured after the assault

The garda said he felt he had to hold onto the door of the Volvo car to stop himself being pulled under the vehicle.

He told Judge Martin Nolan: “There was nothing I could do. If I let go (of the driver's door) I would be dragged under the car. I had nowhere to go.

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

Gda Gallagher said he noticed that Joyce seemed to be driving her vehicle in the direction of a parked car across the road so he felt he had to let go of the door.

4 Christina Joyce was said to be high on crack cocaine during the incident

He revealed he was convinced that: “Everything below my knee was gone, that it was shattered. I consider myself extremely lucky that I am alive and able to walk.”

Gda Gallagher suffered a dislocated knee and had to remain in a brace for eight weeks. He also badly injured his shoulder and had been told he cannot return to playing sports for about two years.

The father of two said his wife also has a chronic back condition and usually had to rely on him for much of the work around the house.

Gda Gallagher, who has been in An Garda Siochana for 14 years, has not yet returned to work.

Joyce, a mother of three of no fixed abode, was sent forward from the District Court to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on signed pleas of guilty.

She admitted endangering Gda Gallagher and assaulting him causing him harm on April 9, 2018.

4 Gallagher has yet to return to work

She also admitted two charges of trespass, damaging a wall and damaging a car on the same date.

She has 67 previous convictions for assault, failure to appear, public order, drugs, theft and fraud, road traffic offences, assaulting a police officer and criminal damage.

Keith Spencer BL, defending said his client was one of 14 siblings and was taken into care as a three-week-old baby.

Joyce is a paranoid schizophrenic who suffers from both auditory and visual hallucinations, counsel said.

Sgt Waldron accepted a suggestion from Mr Spencer that there were marks on Joyce's arms, consistent with self harming when she was first spotted in the vehicle that day.

Judge Nolan said Gda Gallagher had “no option but to grab the driver's door to stop being run over”. He said Joyce was “intent on getting rid of him”.

4 The crashed Volvo at the scene of the incident in Dublin Credit: John Dardis

The judge said it was “a morning of mayhem” committed while Joyce was “under the influence of crack cocaine” and noted that Joyce had injured three people, caused criminal damage and entered two houses in an attempt to evade arrest.

Judge Nolan imposed a four and half year sentence which he said must be consecutive to a term Joyce is already serving for assault and theft.

She was on bail for these offences in April and was due for release next September.

MOST READ IN NEWS whopping win Lotto punters in Kilkenny urged to check tickets after massive €5m jackpot win 'MADE BRITAIN GREAT BY GOING' Meg & Harry told to LEAVE US by Trump adviser after vote plea RANK TAXI Cabbie leaves disgusting X-rated comment on disabled customer's voicemail covid spike Six counties being closely monitored by NPHET after Covid-19 surge Exclusive HAPPY MEAL McDonald’s worker who paid for lad’s meal has secretly bought food for MONTHS crash arrest Joshua Allen arrested for ‘driving intoxicated’ after crashing new Range Rover

He disqualified her from driving for six years. Judge Nolan refused an application by Mr Spencer to suspend part of the sentence act as an incentive for his client.

Mr Spencer said his client was “shocked and ashamed when she heard the evidence” and had written a letter of apology to Gda Gallagher.

He said Joyce was left with disfiguring injuries after her face was slashed when she was attending her methadone clinic, so she had “huge empathy” for Gda Gallagher.