Stephen Kearney was due to appear before Judge Orla Crowe in court 5 of the CCJ on Wednesday where a section 99 hearing, to hear arguments in relation to the reactivation of a suspended portion of his sentence, was due to be heard,
However, barrister David Staunton informed the court that his client had been the ‘subject of an assault’ and was seriously ill in hospital.
He sought an adjournment and was granted an adjournment to July 28th.
The Sunday World revealed six weeks ago how Kearney had been left fighting for his life in hospital as a result of a brutal beating he sustained involving a number of his fellow inmates in Mountjoy.
Kearney (39) from Coultry Drive, Ballymun had been due to be released from Mountjoy Prison just weeks later.
However, he was set upon by four inmates in an exercise yard in the prison.
He was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he was later described as being in a critical condition.
Robert ‘Roo’ Redmond
In a statement issued at the time, a spokesperson for the IPS confirmed: “The Irish Prison Service can confirm that an incident occurred at Mountjoy Prison on June 6 involving a prisoner. The incident has been referred to An Garda Síochána.”
Kearney is extremely well known to Gardaí having clocked up in excess of 120 convictions over the past 20 years.
His most serious conviction, for manslaughter, dates from October 2004 for which he received a nine-year sentence in May 2006.
Kearney, then aged 20, admitted to killing Francis Gallagher (18) at Coultry Road on October 25, 2004.
His victim had extensive head injuries, including bruising and swelling to his brain, bruises and cuts to his face and a fractured cheek bone. His skull was intact and there was no evidence of a weapon having been used.
Kearney later admitted to gardaí he had attacked Mr Gallagher, saying he punched him in the face which sent him to the ground and then kicked him six times in the head.
He also admitted to stamping on his victim’s head and kicking him in the sides and the ribs.
His trial heard Kearney was very remorseful.
He had tried to commit suicide at the Garda station.
After his release from prison, Kearney continued to offend.
In 2020, he was jailed for a year after he robbed a shop.
Prison chiefs suspect that convicted murderer and highly dangerous criminal Robert ‘Roo’ Redmond ordered the attack which centres around an ongoing row in the jail.
Barry Wolverson
Redmond, 36, is serving life for the murder of dad of eight Barry Wolverson and for conspiring to murder drug dealer Jordan Davis, who was blasted to death in 2019.
The three men who have been identified as those who carried it out, along with Redmond, were later segregated behind bars.
It’s understood a one-time key player in the drugs trade was one of those involved.
The thug ran his own gang who operated as part of a wider drug trafficking ring which involved Ireland’s top mob The Family.
He had operated under the radar for a number of years but is now serving a hefty sentence for organised crime offences.
The hood who is suspected of causing Kearney the most damage left a prison officer with serious injuries in an attack a number of years ago and has over 140 convictions.
The third man is a serial offender who has over 100 convictions and was previously involved in a prison attack on an associate of Mr Big.
They are now all being probed as part of two investigations, one by prison authorities and a separate investigation being carried out by gardai which will take priority.
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Stephen Kearney had been due in court this week
News in 90 Seconds – July 22nd