Prisoner left in coma and officer suspended after suspected assault

The prisoner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is understood to have been badly injured in the alleged incident – and was placed into an induced coma in hospital

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• 09:49, 17 NOV 2023

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A prison officer has been suspended after it was alleged that he seriously assaulted a prisoner while transporting him back to jail.

It is understood that the officer was suspended and is now the subject of an internal and garda investigation. The prisoner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is understood to have been badly injured in the alleged incident – and was placed into an induced coma in hospital.

Sources say the prisoner is in a stable but serious condition – and it is feared he may suffer long-term physical injuries from the alleged assault. The Irish Prison Service has since alerted gardai to the incident, and has launched its own internal investigation. The prison officer was suspended, pending the outcome of that investigation .Asked for comment on the incident a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said: “The Irish Prison Service does not comment on matters relating to prison incidences.”