This article is from page 18 of the 2009-05-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
PRISON officers wore protective clothing as they accompanied a pris- oner to court in Ennis who had as- saulted three officers a week earlier.
Three of the five officers who ac- companied Daniel Darcy to court wore special protective gear.
Mr Darcy (30), of Tannery Wharf, Rathangan, Kildare, is accused of assaulting Bernadette Phiri, at Tully- varraga, Shannon, on June 13, 2008. He is also charged with stealing a jeep at Ballymore Road, Naas, Co
Kildare, on June 12.
At Ennis District Court last Thurs- day, defence solicitor Chris Lynch said he has been advised that his cli- ent was seen at the Central Mental Jeo U Mer Vel MNDIMBNoM Los) e
He requested that a report on this assessment be made available to the court.
“T am asking that every effort be made for an expeditious report with regards to fitness to plead,” he said.
He said he was also asking that the accused receive all treatment that he requires, in the intervening period.
Judge Joseph Mangan directed that the accused be assessed and treated psychiatrically and remanded him in custody to Cork prison.
He will re-appear in court later this week.
The court heard a week earlier that three prison officers were attacked by Mr Darcy outside the courtroom.
The three were hospitalised after one sustained a broken arm, another UUECEO- ZU KIMTITUOM ar TICm MONT KCB Kom ceived head and shoulder injuries.
Mr Darcy became irate in the courtroom and lashed out at the of-
ficers as he was being taken out into the hallway.
Several prison officers and gardai tried to control Darcy – who was handcuffed – as he lashed out both physically and verbally outside the courtroom and later in the holding I ele ances ace
Prison officer Melissa Kiely later told the court that the prisoner had become “extremely volatile” while being escorted from the courtroom by three prison staff.
She said that one of the staff was bitten twice, another sustained an
arm injury, while another received a wrist injury, when Darcy resisted be- ing removed from the courtroom.
She said she had contacted the pris- on chief officer Pat Desmond, who instructed that the prisoner be held Mss Ie
A specially trained control restraint team was dispatched to the court- house and transported him back to the jail.
‘He has a well-documented psychi- atric history and is currently receiv- ing treatment at Limerick Prison,” She said, on that occasion.