"Career Criminal" jailed for three years for his role in ambushing garda car and freeing prisoner

A man with an extensive criminal history has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment following his guilty plea to facilitating a prisoner's escape in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Lee King, aged 27, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to his role in an organised attempt by seven people to free Paul Byrne from gardaí custody in Ballyfermot on March 6, 2012. Byrne, who had been detained in Longford, was being transported to Cloverhill Prison when gardaí stopped at Ballyfermot Garda Station to retrieve a committal warrant. During the brief stop, King and others pulled the injured prisoner from the vehicle at a traffic light and assisted his escape. King subsequently assaulted a garda who attempted to pursue the group. Judge Martin Nolan imposed the custodial sentence, taking into account the coordinated nature of the incident. King has 80 previous convictions and has indicated his intention to participate in community employment upon release.