A pregnant woman has been jailed for 61/2 years for robbing an English tour guide who was stabbed with a syringe and had blood squirted in her face.
Judge Cyril Kelly was told the tour guide is so terrified of AIDS she becomes sick with fear at what test results might show.
Nicola Doyle (19), formerly with an address at Bernard Curtis House, Inchicore, Dublin, but now living in Co Kerry, is due to have her second child in February.
Francis Duffy (20), of Kilmartin Gardens, Tallaght, Co Dublin, who was described as the "strongarm" behind her in syringe robberies, was jailed for 10 years by Judge Kelly at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
They pleaded guilty to robberies at Ormond Quay, Dublin, on August 30th and 31st, 1996, of two female victims. Doyle had no previous convictions while Duffy is serving 18 months for various offences.
Garda Mark Jordan, who was off duty when he apprehended Doyle as she carried out the August 31st robbery, agreed with the comment made at an earlier hearing by Det Garda Sean McAvinchey that Duffy used Doyle to do "his dirty work for him".
Judge Kelly suspended the balance of Doyle's sentence from January 18th, 1999, when her child will be one year old. The court heard Doyle had been introduced to heroin by Duffy when she was 16. She remained in Duffy's company for seven months after having her first child. Ms Mary Ellen Ring BL, for Doyle, said her client had now left Dublin to get away from the criminal drug culture and was drug-free. She wished she could apologise in person to her victims and was most remorseful.
Det Garda McAvinchey said the English tour guide was conducting an Australian group at Ormond Quay on August 30th, 1996, when she was grabbed by Doyle, who shouted: "Give me your f---ing bag. I'm riddled with AIDS."
Doyle stabbed her in the hand before squirting blood into her face. She and Duffy then fled with the woman's handbag and bought heroin.
Garda Jordan told Mr Brendan Grehan, prosecuting, that when driving along Ormond Quay on August 31st his attention was drawn to Duffy and Doyle.
He saw Doyle turn back with a smile to Duffy, who nodded his head, indicating agreement. She then grabbed a woman's handbag and punched the victim several times when she struggled.
Garda Jordan said he got out of his car with his service baton and caught Doyle after a chase. Garda Jordan was in civilian dress and identified himself as a garda.
She shouted to Duffy that the witness was "a copper". Duffy approached him with a syringe and threatened him.
Judge Kelly praised a truck driver who came to Garda Jordan's aid. Garda Jordan said Duffy and Doyle fitted the descriptions of those who robbed the tour guide and both admitted their roles when questioned.
Mr Luigi Rea BL said Duffy realised he would go back on drugs if released now. He wanted to get into the Mountjoy drug-free unit and receive treatment.
Judge Kelly said this was one of the most serious syringe-attack cases to date because of the consequences to the victim.