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15/10/2008
Irish Prisoners Attack Authorities
There have now been two messy, physical attacks on the legal system by disgruntled people in custody.
Yesterday, inmates at Portlaoise Prison in the Irish Republic were under investigation after allegedly throwing the contents of their chamber pots at the gaol's governor and at various prison officers in a rather direct form of protest.
An investigation is now underway into the incident, which followed a search of a cell on one of the wings housing mainly republican prisoners.
According to reports on Wednesday morning, prison officers were investigating allegations that an INLA member had created a home-made weapon out of a soup ladle.
The Governor of Portlaoise Prison, Ned Whelan, was attacked while making his regular rounds of the jail and extra staff were called in to deal with the situation.
Two of the prisoners were subsequently brought to the segregation unit.
The attack comes just days after details of an incident at the Magistrate's Court in Londonderry when a prisoner sprayed water from a fire extinguisher over a District Judge who had just remanded him in custody.
The incident occurred during renovations when, ironically, additional security measures were being installed at the Bishop Street Court.
At the special sitting of the court on Saturday morning last, the man from the Ballymagroarty area of Derry appeared before District Judge Liam McNally charged with burglary and motoring offences.
Bail was refused and suddenly the defendant, who was sitting apart from police officers, reached over and grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed it.
The water landed splashed Mr McNally and his bench and papers. He quickly left the courtroom as police officers wrestled the prisoner to the ground.
The defendant was remanded in custody on the burglary and motoring charges until November 6.
(BMcC)
Yesterday, inmates at Portlaoise Prison in the Irish Republic were under investigation after allegedly throwing the contents of their chamber pots at the gaol's governor and at various prison officers in a rather direct form of protest.
An investigation is now underway into the incident, which followed a search of a cell on one of the wings housing mainly republican prisoners.
According to reports on Wednesday morning, prison officers were investigating allegations that an INLA member had created a home-made weapon out of a soup ladle.
The Governor of Portlaoise Prison, Ned Whelan, was attacked while making his regular rounds of the jail and extra staff were called in to deal with the situation.
Two of the prisoners were subsequently brought to the segregation unit.
The attack comes just days after details of an incident at the Magistrate's Court in Londonderry when a prisoner sprayed water from a fire extinguisher over a District Judge who had just remanded him in custody.
The incident occurred during renovations when, ironically, additional security measures were being installed at the Bishop Street Court.
At the special sitting of the court on Saturday morning last, the man from the Ballymagroarty area of Derry appeared before District Judge Liam McNally charged with burglary and motoring offences.
Bail was refused and suddenly the defendant, who was sitting apart from police officers, reached over and grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed it.
The water landed splashed Mr McNally and his bench and papers. He quickly left the courtroom as police officers wrestled the prisoner to the ground.
The defendant was remanded in custody on the burglary and motoring charges until November 6.
(BMcC)
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