Whistleblower prison officer faces dismissal

A prison officer who made a protected disclosure about a violent incident in prison which went unreported has been threatened with dismissal for not completing an academic course.

Gerard Butler, who joined the prison service in 2010, has been told a file on his failure to complete an academic course has been forwarded to the Department of Justice with a recommendation that he be dismissed.

The prison service has confirmed no one in recent years has been dismissed for not completing the mandatory Higher Certificate in Custodial Care (HCCC).