Probe after prison officers 'went on the beer' while escorting dangerous criminal

It is alleged that three prison officers went inside the services building to use the facilities while the senior officer was cuffed to the prisoner. File photo: Larry Cummins

Four prison officers are being investigated after three of them “went on the beer” during the escort of a dangerous gangland criminal to and from court.

The incident, which occurred earlier this month, involved the escort of a prisoner involved in gangland crime from Portlaoise Prison to the Criminal Courts of Justice building in Dublin. According to multiple sources, three of the officers spent a portion of the day in Dublin drinking alcohol and all were unfit to drive the prison van back to Portlaoise that evening.