cell hell |
The 24-year-old is from Clara in Co Offaly and it’s understood he wished to be moved back to the Midlands Prison.
Castlerea Prison
Gardai are investigating an alleged hostage incident in Castlerea Prison involving convicted pensioner attacker Dylan Coughlan.
The Sunday World understands authorities in the jail have referred on to gardai details of an incident in which Coughlan allegedly took his cell mate hostage in an incident which occurred on September 19.
Sources said Coughlan is suspected of having engaged in the hostage taking incident in an attempt to force a move out of Castlerea.
The 24-year-old is from Clara in Co Offaly and it’s understood he wished to be moved back to the Midlands Prison.
Contacted this week, the Irish Prison Service declined to comment saying it does not comment on ‘individual prisoner cases.’
Coughlan was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2022 after a court heard he was one of two men responsible for an attack where a pensioner said he begged for his life.
He was sentenced at Tullamore Circuit Court after he was found guilty of assaulting John Sheerin, causing him harm, at the 70-year-old man’s home at Kinclare, Clara on September 1, 2019.
A jury had also found him guilty of assaulting another man on the same date, Derek Tuite, at his residence at Railway View, Clara.
He was also found guilty of aggravated burglary.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Keenan Johnson described Mr Sheerin as an elderly, vulnerable man who was now afraid to go out at night and feared being on his own at home.
Judge Johnson said Coughlan and his associate had armed themselves with a shovel and a bat and carried out both assaults at night.
Castlerea Prison
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – September 28th