A THIEF caught after a long chase by a garda has been given a three year suspended sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge Cyril Kelly complimented Garda Martina Noonan on her courage and fitness in chasing Jonathan Devoy (18) on foot and bicycle from Ballsbridge to Ringsend and arresting him after he assaulted her.
"This young man is on the periphery of crime and I am placing him under a bond to keep the peace for five years as it is better to keep him out of trouble than putting him into prison," Judge Kelly added.
Garda Noonan told Mr Carrol Moran, prosecuting, she saw Devoy break into a car in Ballsbridge and take a telephone from it. She chased him on foot. After some time, Devoy got into a taxi but Garda Noonan stopped it and told the driver she was arresting his passenger.
Devoy bent her arm backwards knocked her to the ground, kicked her and ran off again. Garda Noonan pursued him and eventually borrowed a bicycle from a civilian, caught up with Devoy again and arrested him.
Devoy, of Leo Fitzgerald House, Dublin, admitted stealing a car telephone and assaulting Garda Noonan occasioning her actual bodily harm on July 10th, 1995.
Defence counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins, said Garda Noonan suffered no long term health problems from the assault.