Prison officer’s teeth smashed by fire extinguisher

THE prisoner officer who had his teeth and nose smashed in by an inmate in last Saturday’s riot in Mountjoy Prison is to undergo facial surgery today.

The officer, aged in his 20s, is a probationer and has only been in the Prison Service a relatively short time.

Jim Mitchell, president of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), was a member of the 56-strong riot team that went in to restrain the 77 prisoners on Saturday evening. He said the officer was assaulted as the team moved in.