A Dublin man has been jailed for eight years after he shot himself while trying to assassinate another man over a drugs debt.

Thomas Ryan (32) of McKee Park pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Patrick-Charles O'Neill (51) on Glasnevin Avenue in Ballymun.

The Central Criminal Court heard that on 26th August last year, Mr. O'Neill was cycling with a friend in Ballymun when he noticed a man he knew to see pulling at his trousers.

A shot went off as the man, wearing a baseball cap, pulled out a gun and fired at him.

Mr. O'Neill was hit by a bullet in the stomach. He did not realise at the time that the gunman, Thomas Ryan, had shot himself when the gun went off the first time.

Panicked, Ryan then dropped the weapon and fled the scene with a large wound to his thigh.

The court heard the shooting was over a drugs debt that Mr. Ryan had built up. He said he had been told it was either him or Mr. O'Neill and that if he went to gardai, his family would be in danger.

Mr. Ryan admitted in a garda interview that he did not know much about guns.

Charlie O'Neill had to have a portion of his bowel removed and remained in intensive care until September 11th.

Mr. Justice Paul Carney remarked on what he called a new form of pernicious crime where someone in the grip of a drugs debt is ordered to carry out an assassination or decides to eliminate their creditor.

He said this type of defendant is 'not going to be deterred by high sentences but it doesn't mean the sentence should not reflect the gravity of the offence'.

He imposed a 10 year sentence with the final two years suspended.