Gardaí and the Prison Service last night launched investigations into the fatal stabbing of a 24-year-old inmate in Mountjoy Prison.
The incident occurred at about 6pm after a dispute arose between two inmates. A knife was produced during the row and the dead man, named last night as Derek Glennon, from Crumlin, Dublin, received serious stab wounds to the chest area. He was removed to the nearby Mater Hospital, where he later died.
The altercation took place on the landing of Mountjoy's D division and was quickly broken up by at least three prison officers, who managed to recover the instrument used in the attack.
The other man involved was also apprehended and isolated from other prisoners. He was due to be questioned by investigating officers last night.
A Garda spokesman declined to release the deceased man's name. However, sources last night confirmed that the dead man was Derek Glennon, with an address at Stanaway Road, Crumlin, Dublin. He escaped from custody in October 2005 while serving a five-year prison sentence for manslaughter. He was subsequently apprehended and jailed for five years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Glennon had been jailed in January 2004 after he pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of Neil King at Davitt Road on December 16th, 2002. He killed the cyclist when he was trying to avoid gardaí after being caught driving a stolen car. While serving his sentence, Glennon was escorted to St James's Hospital by three prison officers. He was outside smoking when a man approached and pointed a gun at the officer to whom he was handcuffed. The officer was threatened and Glennon was released
The stabbing occurred shortly after evening "unlock" at the prison, during which up to 150 prisoners would have been present, and it is likely that several of these witnessed the incident. The attack may have been caught on closed-circuit television installed in the prison.
Sources said what appeared to be a three-inch lock knife was given to investigating officers for technical examination. It remained unclear last night whether the instrument was "home-made" or had been smuggled into the prison.
The Governor of Mountjoy, John Lonergan, was at the prison yesterday evening as the investigation continued. Gardaí also held a case conference late last night to discuss the matter.
The president of the Prison Officers' Association (POA), Jim Mitchell, extended his sympathy to the family of the dead man. He said that the POA was seeking an urgent meeting with the director of the Prison Service to discuss what was a "most serious and worrying matter."