Criminal cleared of assaulting officers as judge notes ‘concerns’

A violent criminal has been cleared of assaulting a prison officer when he was searched for weapons.

Leon Wright, aged 28, of Donore Avenue, Dublin 8, remained handcuffed and flanked by five prison staff wearing riot gear for his district court trial on Wednesday.

Wright, who said he was beaten by prison officers, was supported in court by Independent TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly, who took notes of the proceedings from the public gallery.

After the defence raised questions over the credibility of prosecution witnesses and evidence, Judge Alan Mitchell said that having viewed the CCTV evidence in particular, he was dismissing the case.

He also said he was going to direct that the Court Service would prepare a copy of the digital audio recording of the hearing and that it would be offered to the inspector of prisons, Judge Michael Reilly, in the event he would like to “take further action”.

“I certainly have concerns in relation to this matter,” the judge added.

In 2014, Wright, who has 84 previous convictions, including 30 assaults, four Garda assaults, robberies and firearms offences, received a six-year sentence with the final two suspended for stabbing two people in random attacks.

However, in his Dublin District Court trial yesterday he pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting prison officer Michael Kerr at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin on October 7, 2013. Officer Kerr alleged Wright produced an object from his back passage and stabbed him in the face cutting his lip.

He and two other prison officers said Wright became aggressive when told he was about to be searched. They denied that the defendant was beaten by several officers.

Emmet Nolan, defending, put it to prosecution witnesses that Wright was stripped and “given a hiding” which was denied. He asked the judge to note that CCTV footage showed four prison officers in riot gear outside the cell while four others dealt with Wright inside. He argued it was not believable that they would remain outside the cell while their colleagues were being attacked.

The court also heard that Wright was exonerated of having a weapon or attempting to stab the prison officer during an internal investigation by the governor.

After Wright was cleared of the charge he gave two thumbs up to the two TDs, who had spoken to him before the trial. He was then taken out of the courtroom by prison officers.