Phil in Paris
01-19-2005, 09:16 AM
From:The Irish Independent
Wednesday, 19th January, 2005
THE student charged with the manslaughter of 11-year-old Robert Holohan was moved to a new prison for his own safety yesterday.
Wayne O'Donoghue (20) was in an isolation cell at the Midlands jail in Portlaoise last night after a review of his case by prison authorities.
O'Donoghue, who was met by a barrage of abuse as he was led into Midleton district court on Monday night, was remanded in custody to Cork prison rather than St Patrick's Institution in Dublin at the request of his solicitor.
He was held overnight in Cork but the authorities decided yesterday to transfer O'Donoghue to the Midlands jail, which was built only four years ago and has capacity for 515 prisoners.
Prison officials said Cork had facilities to hold remand prisoners who had to be placed under protection but the modern structures at the Midlands were thought to be more suitable.
"We have an obligation to provide safe and secure custody for all prisoners and this transfer was determined by operational reasons," one official said.
"There are other prisoners in the same category as Wayne O'Donoghue but their names are not as widely known since this case has been well publicised nationally and we have to take extra precautions," he added.
Prisoners charged with offences involving children are often placed under special protection while in jail because of the threat of attack from other inmates.
O'Donoghue, from Ballyedmund, Midleton, was arrested by gardai on Sunday night after a major investigation into the disappearance of his 11-year-old neighbour, Robert Holohan on January 4.
During the court hearing, defence solicitor Frank Buttimer indicated that the second-year engineering student at Cork Institute of Technology had instructed him not to apply for bail.
Tom Brady and Ralph Riegel
http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/4875442?view=Eircomnet
Wednesday, 19th January, 2005
THE student charged with the manslaughter of 11-year-old Robert Holohan was moved to a new prison for his own safety yesterday.
Wayne O'Donoghue (20) was in an isolation cell at the Midlands jail in Portlaoise last night after a review of his case by prison authorities.
O'Donoghue, who was met by a barrage of abuse as he was led into Midleton district court on Monday night, was remanded in custody to Cork prison rather than St Patrick's Institution in Dublin at the request of his solicitor.
He was held overnight in Cork but the authorities decided yesterday to transfer O'Donoghue to the Midlands jail, which was built only four years ago and has capacity for 515 prisoners.
Prison officials said Cork had facilities to hold remand prisoners who had to be placed under protection but the modern structures at the Midlands were thought to be more suitable.
"We have an obligation to provide safe and secure custody for all prisoners and this transfer was determined by operational reasons," one official said.
"There are other prisoners in the same category as Wayne O'Donoghue but their names are not as widely known since this case has been well publicised nationally and we have to take extra precautions," he added.
Prisoners charged with offences involving children are often placed under special protection while in jail because of the threat of attack from other inmates.
O'Donoghue, from Ballyedmund, Midleton, was arrested by gardai on Sunday night after a major investigation into the disappearance of his 11-year-old neighbour, Robert Holohan on January 4.
During the court hearing, defence solicitor Frank Buttimer indicated that the second-year engineering student at Cork Institute of Technology had instructed him not to apply for bail.
Tom Brady and Ralph Riegel
http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/4875442?view=Eircomnet