An inmate at Dublin’s Cloverhill Prison who attacked riot squad officers with an iron bar during a major disturbance has been sentenced to a further 14 months in jail.
Leroy Roche (31), otherwise known as Leroy Dumbrell, of Carraiglea Gardens, Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, was described by prison officers as a "ringleader" when a protest broke out at the jail two years ago.
Dumbrell pleaded guilty earlier this year to committing violent disorder with others on August 29th, 2015.
Goalposts were torn out of the ground and razor wire was ripped from an observation hub during the incident involving 64 prisoners.
Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan said Dumbrell had "behaved disgracefully".
He noted that Dumbrell had procured an iron bar with which he struck the shields of the riot officers, and that a female officer was particularly affected.
Judge Nolan said an aggravating factor was that the offence was committed while Dumbrell was in custody, when staff were having a very difficult time maintaining order.
Education certificates
He acknowledged that Dumbrell was “trying to reform himself” in prison as evidenced by the education certificates handed in on his behalf, and described him as “an intelligent man”.
Dumbrell’s 14-month sentence will run consecutively to the six-year jail term he is serving for making threats to kill and violent disorder.
A prosecuting garda told Róisín Lacey SC for the DPP that the incident kicked off when 64 prisoners who were exercising in the B-Division yard refused to go back to their cells. Prison officers saw a number of prisoners ripping up a set of goalposts, breaking glass and removing razor wire from an observation hub.
A prison governor attempted to negotiate with prisoners who indicated they were unhappy with disciplinary sanctions at the time.
Riot squad
However, the prisoners refused to stop and at least 50 members of the riot squad from Cloverhill and Wheatfield prisons, known as control and restraint officers, were called in to deal with the matter.
Training and liaison prison officer Colm McGlynn told gardaí that officers formed a cordon, but said he saw Dumbrell acting in a highly aggressive manner and moving along the cordon striking at shields with an iron bar.
Other witnesses described Dumbrell shouting abuse and warning that if staff entered the yard, they were going to “take a hostage”.
Prison officer Michelle Matthews told gardaí she stepped out of the cordon to direct staff across the yard when she saw Dumbrell approach and try to strike her twice with an iron bar, which she managed to block with her shield.
Another prisoner then lunged at her and she fell to the ground.
Restrained
Dumbrell was eventually restrained and removed by the control and restraint team who then managed to contain the incident.
Dumbrell has 72 previous convictions, including a seven-year sentence with the final year suspended for threats to kill and violent disorder.
Damien Colgan SC, defending, said Dumbrell’s plea of guilty had spared all involved from the trouble of a trial.
The court heard that Dumbrell, who has two young children, was now drug-free and had completed a programme at Merchant’s Quay and an Alternative to Violence course.
Dumbrell is due for release from his current sentence on July 30th, 2019, and this latest sentence will take effect from that date.