A Belfast man who spat on members of the emergency services after crashing an NIE van he hijacked was handed a sentence totalling seven years and three months on Friday.
As he sentenced David Connors for a total of 16 offences committed in February 2021, Judge Geoffery Miller KC branded his actions towards a police officer, doctor and nurse as “reprehensible and disgusting”.
Connors, 32, from Old Forge in Dunmurry, appeared at Belfast Crown Court along with co-accused Raymond David Carlisle, 30, from Ardoyne Road in Belfast, who had a sentence of three years and four months imposed for nine offences.
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The pair appeared together via a videolink with Maghaberry and were both told by Judge Miller their sentences will be divided equally between prison and licence.
The crime spree began around 9pm on February 16, 2021 when an NIE worker reported that his van had been hijacked on Agnes Street by two men - one of whom was Connors.
He told police he was threatened by one of the males who was armed with a metal bar and dragged from his van by the other assailant. The pair then made off in the van which crashed into a Vauxhall Corsa before stopping on the Oldpark Road - and it’s at this point that Carlisle got into the stolen vehicle.
The stolen vehicle was then driven along various roads before crashing on the Springfield Road where it collided with a tree and ended up on its side.
Noting damage was caused to several vehicles during this journey, Judge Miller revealed that following the crash, both Connors and Carlisle were located in the cabin of the van.
The pair were removed and during arrest, Connors told officers “I’m going to spit right into your face and I’ve got Hep”. He was taken to hospital where his behaviour was described as “highly abusive”.
Whilst being treated, Connors shouted, lashed out and swore which caused distress to both staff and other patients. Despite warnings about his behaviour, he then spat on a doctor and nurse attempting to treat him as well as a police officer who intervened.
When he was being interviewed the following day about the incidents, he threatened to damage the TV screen whilst being shown police body-warn footage.
Connors - who has 137 previous convictions - subsequently pleaded guilty to a total of 16 charges including hijacking, aggravated vehicle taking causing damage to other vehicles and driving whilst disqualified. He also admitted three counts of common assault - namely the spitting incidents at the hospital.
During Carlisle’s interview, he gave a ‘no comment’ response to police. With 44 offences on his criminal record, he later admitted charges including aggravated vehicle taking causing damage to other vehicles and aggravated vehicle taking driven dangerously.
Judge Miller said he had considered defence submissions made on behalf of the pair - both of whom have experienced mental health and addiction issues.
Saying he accepted Carlisle played no part in the original hijacking, Judge Miller said that thereafter both men were involved in a spate of dangerous driving in a stolen van which put other road-users at risk.
In addition to jailing the pair, Judge Miller also disqualified Connors from driving for ten years while a five-year driving ban was imposed on Carlisle.
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