Prison officer stabbed with home-made blade during escape attempt in Dublin

A prison officer suffered serious facial injuries after an inmate tried to escape during a medical appointment in Dublin on Monday.

The prisoner was being escorted to the appointment in the Swiftcare Clinic in Stoneybatter, Dublin, when the incident occurred. He was not successful in his escape.

The precise extent of the officer’s injuries are unknown but they are not life threatening, sources said.

The prisoner who carried out the attack is understood to be serving a life sentence in Mountjoy Prison for murder and to have a history of violence within the prison system.

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Just after 10am, while waiting to be seen in the clinic, the prisoner asked for his handcuffs to be undone, saying he was hot and wanted to take off his jumper.

He then attacked one of the officers escorting him with a home-made blade known as a “shiv” before attempting to escape. He was restrained by one of the other escort officers.

The injured officer is currently receiving treatment in the Mater hospital while the prisoner has been returned to Mountjoy where he will be interviewed by investigating gardaí.

“The Irish Prison Service is aware of an incident that occurred with an escort from Mountjoy Prison earlier today,” a Prison Service spokesman said. “An Garda Síochána have been informed and therefore the Irish Prison Service cannot comment on an ongoing investigation”

The Prison Officers Association (POA), which has recently highlighted the increasing numbers of assaults against staff, said it is aware of the incident.

“This incident again highlights the risks, challenges and dangers faced by prison offers as they carry out their duties on behalf of the state. These challenges are faced daily by prison officers and indeed their families,” said POA Deputy secretary general Gabriel Keaveny.

The POA annual conference last month heard that between 2021 and 2022 there was a 46 per cent increase in assaults on prison officers, from 91 incidents to 134.

“Some of these assaults have been extremely serious and will have a lasting impact on those who were injured and their families,” POA General Secretary Karl Dalton said.

Injuries to staff have increased by 63 per cent during the same period. At the same time, prisoner on prisoner assaults increased by 52 per cent to 380.

“These statistics speak for themselves, and unless the overcrowding and recruitment issues are resolved these levels of violence will increase in all areas – and inevitably lead serious injury and further fatalities,” Mr Dalton said.

An Garda Síochána is conducting an investigation following report of an incident from the Irish Prison Service Mountjoy, and confirmed that a prison officer received facial injuries in the course of the incident.