Man charged with murdering his wife in Galway found dead in his cell

Ali Sohrabi Photo: Media West (Ireland).

A man charged with murdering his wife in Co Galway last month has been found dead in his prison cell.

Ali Sohrabi, 35, had been charged with the murder of Masoumeh Manojan, 31, whose body was found with stab and slash wounds across her neck near the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre where she had lived with her two young children on the outskirts of Clifden.

Mr Sohrabi was found dead in prison this morning. He was alone in his cell and foul play is not suspected.

Following his committal to Castlerea prison in Co Roscommon, he was held in a high support unit and was in a single-occupancy cell. He was not held with the general prison population.

Mr Sohrabi was detained in a special unit in Castlerea prison but he was not on suicide watch.

He had not been violent while in prison.

The couple had separated before the woman’s violent death in late May.

It is understood that Ms Manojan had applied for a court order to protect her from a man who was allegedly abusing her before her death.

When Mr Sohrabi was arrested, he was treated for injuries to his neck before he could be questioned by gardaí. He was charged with his wife's murder on May 31.

Ms Manojan was originally from Tehran in Iran.

She fled instability and repression in her home country with her young family and arrived in Ireland in 2024.

People spoke warmly of her in Clifden, describing her as kind, hard-working and a dedicated mother.

The Irish Prison Service confirmed that a person died in Castlerea Prison on June 25.

“All deaths in custody are investigated by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Síochána, where circumstances warrant,” a statement from the Irish Prison Service said.

The cause of death is determined by the Coroner’s Office, the IPS said, and an inquest will be held into Mr Sohrabi's death.

Garda Headquarters told the Irish Examiner that the force was investigating all the circumstances following the death of an inmate this morning.

"A post-mortem examination will take place in due course, the results of which will determine the course of the investigation," a garda statement said.