Prison officer on trial for needle stick allegation

A prison officer has gone on trial for making a false needle stick allegation in Mountjoy Prison.

Robert O’Neill (aged 44) of Littlepace Woods, Clonee, Co Meath, has pleaded not guilty to making a false allegation on May 5, 2006 that his hand was pricked by a syringe left on a palm reading device at Mountjoy Prison the previous day.

A fellow prison officer said he had been standing a short distance from the palm reader which gave access to the D-Division landing in the prison, when he heard Mr O’Neill shout a profanity.

Mr Edward Barry told Ms Elva Duffy, prosecuting in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, that he saw blood on the accused’s hand and a small orange-tipped needle on the palm reader.

Mr Barry said he removed the needle and told his injured colleague, whom he described as “pale” and “in a sweat”, not to show his condition to the prisoners queuing nearby for methadone.

He told Ms Duffy that he subsequently viewed CCTV stills of the scene around the time of the alleged incident, and identified another prison officer using the palm reader minutes before Mr O’Neill placed his hand inside the device.

He agreed with Mr Gillane SC, defending, that some prisoners in Mountjoy had “one goal in mind” to injure prison officers and would “secrete” sharp objects in cells and wall cavities.

Mr Barry agreed that although needles were like “gold” among prisoners now because of crackdowns on drug abuse in Mountjoy, in 2006 they were “rampant” and “less like gold, more like copper.”

He agreed with Ms Duffy in reexamination that colleagues “most definitely” uncovered needles during random cell searches in 2006, with sometimes non-users holding them for users or to sell them on.

Prison officer, Mr Alan Maher, told Ms Duffy that he identified himself using the palm reader around 10.28am on CCTV stills of the scene in May 4, 2006 and confirmed he noticed “nothing untoward” at the time when he placed his palm inside.

He agreed with Mr Gillane that the needle could have been on the palm reader when he used it, though he didn’t notice.

Mr O’Neill explained to gardaí during a voluntary interview that the needle may have been stuck on top of a ridge in the device for weeks.

He claimed in the interview, read out by Ms Duffy in court, that he learned of a prisoner “mouthing off about getting a screw” after the alleged incident.

The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and jury of seven women and five men.