Arsonist pleads guilty to kettle assaults on prison officers

An arsonist who assaulted three prison officers with a kettle after he was reprimanded is to be sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Eddie Sherlock (aged 49), who has 51 previous convictions including five for assault, was placed in an industrial school aged nine years old, acquired his first conviction while homeless at 11 years old and has spent the rest of his life in and out of prison.

Judge Patricia Ryan heard Sherlock has been doing well “for the first time in his life” since being released from custody last year and adjourned the case until April to allow him present the court with evidence of his rehabilitation.

Sherlock, of Ballybough Road, Ballybough, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault causing harm against the prison officers in Cloverhill prison on September 22, 2005.

Inspector Noel Doolan told Ms Martina Baxter BL, prosecuting, that a prison officer noticed Sherlock going down a corridor with a kettle and told him he should have been carrying it on a tray.

A second officer told him to bring the kettle back to his cell and Sherlock pushed him backwards.

The first officer approached Sherlock who spat at him and then smashed the empty kettle into his face.

A third prison officer came up the stairs towards Sherlock but he lunged at him, hit him with the kettle on the head and the officer almost fell back down the stairs, but was caught by a colleague.

The first officer suffered blurring and permanent damage to the back of his eye; the second officer suffered minor cuts and concerns about possible contagious diseases which proved unfounded; and the third officer received plastic surgery for a cut on his nose and had to have part of the kettle removed from his scalp.

Inspt Doolan said all three officers have since returned to work.

Inspt Doolan agreed with defence counsel, Mr Pieter Le Vert BL, that Sherlock had been disciplined in prison and lost 56 days privileges. He agreed Sherlock was remanded in custody on these charges after his arson sentence expired in April 2008 but was granted bail in February 2009.

He agreed that the case has been delayed by fitness to plead issues and Sherlock had spent some time being treated in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH). After being assessed fit to be tried Sherlock entered a guilty plea to the assault charges last year.

Inspt Doolan agreed that Sherlock had not come to garda attention since being released on bail.

Mr Le Vert said Sherlock had a difficult upbringing and had been placed in an industrial school at nine years old where he suffered physical abuse. He acquired his first conviction while homeless at 11 years old and has been in and out of prison ever since.

He said Sherlock had difficulties in the past with his mental health which would go someway towards explaining the unprovoked nature of the attack. He said treatment at the CMH had helped him hugely.

Mr Le Vert said Sherlock has been doing well since he was released on bail and has found work as a newspaper vendor and started a relationship.

He asked the court to consider the distance he has come along the road and give him credit for the time he has already served in custody on these charges.