Courts / Meath / Report

Convicted killer given three-year sentence over violent assault

Summary

In a 2018 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Alan Donoghue, aged 35, received a three‑year sentence for his part in a pre‑meditated violent assault on fellow inmate Gary Hanley at Wheatfield Prison on 29 April 2015. Donoghue, who was already serving an eight‑year manslaughter sentence, pleaded guilty to violent disorder. He admitted leaving the scene after the initial assault and not pursuing Hanley when the stabbing began. The court noted that Donoghue had no weapon and had left the area before the spoon‑shaped improvised weapon was used by co‑accused Gary Howard, who was sentenced to four years, and Mark Dignam, who received three and a half years. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the three‑year term to run concurrently with part of Donoghue's existing sentence, with the final three years suspended for possession of a firearm and assisting an inmate to escape.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Convicted killer given three-year sentence over violent assault. Charges or matters: violent disorder at Wheatfield Prison on April 29, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• April 29, 2015 Incident
• 2018-06-22 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report