A convicted drug dealer who “ran over” a garda with an electric bike, leaving him with a disfigurement on his finger, has been jailed for seven months.
Stephen Brazil (46), of Hampton Wood, Finglas, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and drug offences.
Judge Treasa Kelly heard at Dublin District Court that gardaí were carrying out an operation on July 31st last year in Finglas and noticed the accused who failed to stop.
The court heard he “ran over” one officer who provided a victim impact statement and a medical report update.
He showed the court how the little finger on one hand remains disfigured due to the impact.
The court heard that Brazil was in the throes of a drug relapse at the time.
The accused already had 39 prior criminal convictions.
He started using drugs when he was 14 but later got clean and had been working as a tiler and forklift driver.
However, his courses stopped during Covid restrictions, and he relapsed.
The defence submitted that Brazil began interacting with new people who were a “bad influence on him”.
The injured officer, Garda Peter Elliot, gave a victim impact statement and showed the judge how he remained affected by the injury.
Brazil also admitted possessing cocaine and heroin for sale or supply on a date in February 2023.
The court also heard his previous convictions were recorded from 1999 until this year.
They included five counts of possessing drugs for supply, vehicle theft, failing to appear in court, and larceny.
Jailing him, Judge Kelly noted the garda had been left with a “disfigurement” on his finger and that the officer had to undergo months of treatment.
She said it was a serious matter and that Brazil showed “no respect for the gardaí carrying out their work when you were on this electric bike”.
