A recidivist criminal who seriously injured a pedestrian as he fled on a stolen motorbike after firing an improvised “slam-bang” gun at a house has had his five-year prison sentence increased by two years on appeal.
The 67-year-old victim was on a pedestrian crossing when he was struck by the high-powered motorcycle, which had been stolen two weeks earlier.
He sustained life-changing injuries and spent three months in hospital, 25 days of which were in intensive care.
The defendant, Jamie Russell, has 102 previous convictions including numerous road traffic offences.
In resentencing Russell on Monday, the Court of Appeal – having viewed CCTV footage of the collision – described it as “one of the worst cases we have seen”.
The court heard the so-called slam-bang shotgun attack was carried out as a “a cold act of revenge”, after Russell was “humiliated” by the circulation on social media of a video showing another individual headbutting him.
Russell (25) of Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny, Cork pleaded guilty to a number of offences including possession of an improvised shotgun and ammunition at Laurel Ridge Shanakiel, Cork, on August 14th, 2024, and dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm at Mount Agnes Road, Fair Hill, Cork, on the same date.
He was jailed for seven years with the final two suspended by Judge Dermot Sheehan at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) sought a review of the sentence on the grounds it was unduly lenient.
The court viewed CCTV footage of the incident and heard submissions from both sides before resentencing Russell to nine years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. The 25-year-old was also disqualified from driving for six years.
At the appeal hearing barrister Imelda Kelly, representing the DPP, said CCTV footage showed Russell dismounting from the motorbike and approaching the house at about 5.40pm before firing a shot from an improvised “slam-bang” shotgun.
She said Russell then reloaded the firearm and made about 10 attempts at a second discharge before he fled the scene on the same vehicle.
The dangerous driving incident happened about five minutes later at Mount Agnes Road in Fair Hill as the victim was attempting to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing. Russell fled the scene on foot but was later identified by CCTV.
Kelly argued the sentencing judge should have imposed consecutive sentences in respect of the firearms and dangerous driving offences.
She said the “slam-bang” gun was a functioning firearm and had the potential to be “lethal”.