ADDICT GETS 10 YEARS FOR SYRINGE ATTACKS

A drug addict was jailed for 10 years by Judge Kieran O'Connor in Dublin
Circuit Criminal Court yesterday for a "horrific litany" of syringe attacks
and other robberies.

Bradford Meehan (27), Stanaway Road, Crumlin, brother of Mr Brian Meehan,
who is held in a prison near Amsterdam and facing extradition in connection
with the murder of the journalist Veronica Guerin, pleaded guilty to almost
30 charges, involving robberies, assault and taking a car.

He apologised to his victims from the witness box and was granted leave to
seek a review of his sentence in four years' time, on condition he was clear
of all drugs for nine months before that date and availed of the education
facilities in prison.

He has been in custody on these charges since July 1997 but is also serving
District Court sentences.

Gardai said an assortment of weapons, including an imitation gun,
blood-filled syringes, knives and iron bars were carried by Meehan or an
accomplice during almost daily raids carried out on a bank, shops and
service stations from 1995 to 1997.

Meehan threatened to stab his victims unless he was given money. On
occasions he also took a single cigarette packet from a shop.

Garda Michael Lynch said a man was accidentally pricked with a blood-filled
syringe as Meehan robbed him at an ATM machine on May 16th, 1997. The blood
did not contain any contagious disease.

On July 24th, 1995, Meehan walked into the Allied Irish Banks branch in
Upper O'Connell Street and handed a teller a note demanding money. He had
the imitation gun in the band of his trousers. He escaped with #1,206 but
admitted the offence when arrested later.

The court heard each of the other robberies yielded little more than #100.
Many of the premises were robbed on more than one occasion by Meehan. He
never wore a mask and was often identified from security videos.

On May 17th, 1997, a man accused Meehan of selling him "rips" (fake heroin)
at Fatima Mansions. Meehan hit him over the head with a bottle.

The victim tried to walk away, but Meehan followed him on a bicycle and
plunged scissors into his back. He was not seriously injured.

Defence counsel, Mr. Michael O'Higgins, said Meehan had been "out of
control" on drugs for 18 months when he committed the "reign of chaos".

Judge O'Connor said Meehan had been a gifted student and could have gone to
college if he had not left school early. "You could have become a
professional person. The whole world was open to you but you threw it away,"
he said.