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Man acquitted of attacking prison officer with meal tray
Summary
Ceraldo Eyken, 45, of Chaplin Court, Clondalkin, was acquitted by a jury of assault causing harm to prison officer Gareth Sheeran at Cloverhill Prison on 11 April 2009. The incident occurred just before tea‑time when inmates were carrying empty trays down the stairs. Eyken claimed he was defending himself from a fellow prisoner who had pushed him down the stairs seconds earlier. Officer Sheeran, who now works at the Dóchas Centre, was injured when a meal tray was thrown at him, severing a tendon in his wrist and causing permanent nerve damage. Eyken denied the assault charge, stating he had no intention to hit an officer and was angry after an earlier altercation with another inmate. The jury returned its verdict in just under an hour after a two‑day trial. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Sarah Berkeley.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man acquitted of attacking prison officer with meal tray. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- April 11, 2009 Incident
- 2015-10-07 Publication
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