Man gets eight years for assault and threatening to kill gardaí with grenade

A man who claimed to have a grenade and threatened to kill three gardaí with it before assaulting them has received an eight-year jail sentence.

Alan Hutch (aged 30) was on bail for separate offences including a violent robbery and dangerous driving when he assaulted the gardaí last November.

He was also serving a suspended sentence of four years for robbery and assaulting a garda in 2009.

Hutch of Sherrard St Lower, Dublin city pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery on Drumcondra road on August 27, 2012 and to assaulting Garda Sergeant Charlie Armstrong during the same incident.

He attempted to bite the garda after Sgt Armstrong arrested him for a robbery he had just committed on another man. Hutch was granted bail on August 28.

He also pleaded guilty to car theft, dangerous driving, and damaging a garda car during a high speed chase around north Dublin city on October 1, 2012. He admitted escaping from lawful custody at the Mater Hospital on the same date.

The court heard that Hutch stole the BMW while the owner was at the boot of the car on Parnell Street. He then drove at speeds in excess of 135 kmp/hr in built areas around the north city centre, breaking red lights, driving along the wrong side of the road and ramming garda patrol cars.

Hutch, who has 48 previous convictions, was arrested a week after escaping from custody in the Mater hospital. He was then charged and granted bail on November 1.

On November 12 he carried out an attempted robbery on the Ink World shop on Dorset Street.

Hutch pleaded guilty to production of a knife during an attempted robbery and attempted robbery at Dorset Street Lower on November 12, 2012.

He also admitted to threating to kill the three gardaí and to assault causing harm of gardaí Ciaran Kavanagh and Conor Mackey on the same occasion.

The owner of the shop, a Chinese man, ran from the shop and pulled the front shutters down, locking Hutch into the shop.

Garda Joe Gavin told Martina Baxter BL, prosecuting, that he and two other gardaí went to the back office of the shop and saw that Hutch had a large kitchen knife.

He said that Hutch told them: “I will fucking kill youse if you don't let me out of here”.

Hutch then came running at them and gardaí pepper sprayed him.

Garda Gavin said he was in fear for his safety and the safety of the other gardaí and members of the public who had gathered outside the shop.

Hutch then told gardaí he had a grenade in his pocket and that he was going to detonate it and “kill us all”. He put a knife to his neck and said he would kill himself.

Gardaí managed to disarm Hutch eventually after he had bitten Gda Ciaran Kavanagh and Gda Conor Mackey.

Hutch also told gardaí that he had been recently admitted into hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown.

Sean Gillane, SC, defending, said his client had learning disabilities.

Judge Martin Nolan said that he gave Hutch a lenient sentence in 2010 with the expectation that he would reform himself. He said this obviously hasn’t happened.

He suspended the last 18 months of an eight-year prison sentence on the condition that Hutch keep the peace and engage with the Probation Services for that period.

He also banned him from driving for a period of three years from the date of his release from prison.