A dangerous Ballyfermot criminal, who spent several weeks as a fugitive over Christmas, will have to serve more jail time for an armed robbery.
Lee McDonnell from Lough Conn Road pistol-whipped a shop worker while robbing a filling station in 2012.
The DPP’s appeal against the three year sentence handed down to Lee McDonnell was due to be heard in December.
However, the man, described as an “extremely dangerous and unpredictable criminal”, was on the run after escaping from a prison van the day before.
He was being escorted back from a hospital appointment when the van stopped at a chipper in Inchicore to get him some food.
The 23-year-old managed to get out of his handcuffs and barge past the prison officers.
He was recaptured in Ronanstown a few weeks later.
The undue leniency appeal was heard this morning.
The DPP argued the original sentence handed down was too soft, particularly considering the violence used – the court heard McDonnell hit a shop worker with the butt of a replica gun during the robbery.
The Court of Appeal agreed and added an extra two years to his sentence.
