Nine months for prison officer threat

A 28-YEAR-OLD man jailed by the Special Criminal Court in connection with extortion threatened to kill a prison officer while in custody on another matter, a court has heard.

Christopher McCormack, with addresses at Hyde Road and Wolfe Tone Street in Limerick, was one of seven men sentenced at the Special Criminal Court earlier this year following a Garda probe into extortion.

McCormack had received a three-year sentence.

Yesterday, at Limerick District Court he received a nine-month sentence to be served concurrently after admitting threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a prison officer at Limerick Prison on May 3, 2010.

Det Insp Derek Smart said McCormack approached a prison officer and said “I’m going to fucking stab that screw,” referring to another member of staff. His solicitor said McCormack was being attacked by others.