Courts / Dublin / Report

Prisoner should be "professional darts player" if he intended to hit cell window, court told

Date
2017-03-16

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 21‑year‑old Jeffrey Crowley was found to have acted recklessly when he threw a battery at the observation window of his cell at Wheatfield prison, shattering the glass and sending shards into the eye of prison officer Lorraine McCarthy. Prosecutor Fergal Foley noted that Crowley did not intend to damage the officer's eye, citing the small size of the window and the lack of intent. Defending counsel Keith Spencer argued that hitting the window would have required extraordinary skill, which Crowley lacked. Crowley pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms McCarthy, who suffered no permanent eye injury but experienced post‑traumatic stress. The court adjourned sentencing to May, with Judge Pauline Codd noting Crowley's history of theft, robbery, criminal damage, drug dealing, and early‑age offending. The case remains at the sentencing stage.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Prisoner should be "professional darts player" if he intended to hit cell window, court told. Charges or matters: assaulting Lorraine McCarthy causing her harm at Wheatfield prison, Co. Procedural stage: trial

When:

February 23, 2014 Incident
2017-03-16 Publication

Why: Garda Kevin Mullahy said that the victim, an Assistant Chief Officer in the prison, went to Crowley's cell because he was breaking up the contents of the cell. CNI source report