Mentally ill prisoner who strangled cell-mate in 'savage' attack jailed for 10 years

Bereaved family criticise prison service for allowing two prisoners with mental health issues to share a cell

Fatal attack took place in Cloverhill Prison on the night of Friday, November 22, 2019, into the early hours of Saturday, November 23, 2019. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

A mentally ill prisoner who strangled his cell-mate has been jailed for ten years for what a judge described as a "savage" attack carried out without "any justification".

Meanwhile, the bereaved family of Mark Lawlor have criticised the prison service for allowing two prisoners with mental health issues to share a cell.