Dublin West TD ends seven-day jail term for contempt of court

Dublin West TD Mr Liam Lawlor ends his jail term tomorrow after a stay described by prison authorities as having gone "smoothly…

Dublin West TD Mr Liam Lawlor ends his jail term tomorrow after a stay described by prison authorities as having gone "smoothly".

Mr Lawlor's week-long sentence for failure to provide information to the Flood tribunal ends officially at midday, exactly seven days after he entered the gates of Mountjoy Prison.

The wording of the warrant for his committal to prison, which specified that he serve seven full 24-hour periods, means he cannot leave before midday.

As he has been jailed for contempt of court and not been convicted of a criminal offence, he does not qualify for the statutory 25 per cent remission in sentence which applies to prisoners who demonstrate good behaviour.

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Mr Lawlor avoided the press and photographers last week when he arrived at Mountjoy in a Garda van after being formally arrested at Ronanstown Garda station.

The Irish Prison Service said last night no special arrangements would be made for his discharge which would normally mean he would exit the prison gates on foot or have a car pick him up immediately outside.

However, when Mr Lawlor completed his first week in prison for the same reason in January last year, he wrong-footed the waiting media by having his regular car pick up his bags first and leaving later himself in his less obvious gardener's van.

Concerns for Mr Lawlor's safety led prison authorities to hold him in a single cell.