THE danger posed by ‘legal highs’ were highlighted at last week’s sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court when a 19-year-old tried to rob a head shop with a kitchen knife while high on a cocaine substitute.
Adrian Ring of 48A Garryduff Drive, Castlebar received a four year suspended prison sentence for attempted robbery and the production of a knife on May 5, 2010. The court heard that while gardaí were attempting to arrest him, he snorted the cocaine substitute which resulted in his nose bleeding.
Judge Tony Hunt said the case highlighted the dangers of the ‘legal highs’ before they were made illegal and that they had the same affect as the drugs they were meant to mimic.
On the date, Mr Ring and another man entered the Down Town head shop on Castle Street and asked for a product that the shop didn’t stock. When told of this Ring produced a large domestic knife from his sock and said he would be taking all the stock in the shop.
They went to the Cosmic Closet head shop on the corner of Charles and Richard Street where Ring again brandished a knife and tried to both rob the cash register and product from the shop.
When Garda Tom Fleming arrived, Mr Ring discarded the knife and a struggle ensued. He was blocked from exiting the shop and began to snort a cocaine substitute. Mr Eoin Garavan, BL for the accused said his client had no recollection of what occurred and was horrified when he saw what happened on CCTV footage. He added that he had a history of alcohol and drug abuse and was undergoing addiction counselling.
Mr Ring has been in custody since last July and Judge said he has been in custody for a reason and to show it was not a holiday camp. He sentenced Mr Ring to four years imprisonment but suspended the sentence on the condition he keeps the peace and is placed under the supervision of the probation service for 12 months.
