Lee King jailed for helping free prisoner from garda car

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Lee King was jailed for three years for facilitating the escape of a person from lawful custody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, reported on 26 March 2015. The escape took place in Ballyfermot on 6 March 2012, when King and others pulled Paul Byrne from a garda car. King pleaded guilty to the offence. Judge Martin Nolan said the ambush had been orchestrated by seven people. King punched a garda who got out to give chase.

The court was told that gardaí had been transporting Byrne from Longford to Cloverhill Prison, with a detour to Ballyfermot Garda Station. King’s defence said he had 80 previous convictions and intended to join a community employment scheme after prison.