27/02/2008

Gunman Gets 12 Years For Garda Shooting

A cocaine-fuelled gunman who shot a garda sergeant in the chest with a sawn off shotgun has been sentenced to 12 years jail at a Dublin court.

Johnathan Radford, 22, of Ruthland Grove, Crumlin, Dublin, and a 16 year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a total of 13 charges stemming from the incident in 2006.

The killing took place after gardaí were called to investigate a shot fired at a family home on Monasterboice Drive in the early hours of the morning.

The two accused were in a stolen white Mitsibushi Lancer seen at the initial scene and had then shot Sergeant Clarke in the chest as he approached the car, which had itself been reported stolen some time earlier.

The suspects were apprehended after a death-defying car chase that involved the over-turning of a third vehicle and the attempted high-jacking of a fourth.

Judge Frank O'Donnell imposed a 12-year sentence on Radford with the final two years suspended on conditions and eight years on the teenager with the final three suspended.

(DW)


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