Four prison officers face investigation in connection with an incident where three of them went to have ‘beer’ while escorting a dangerous criminal for trial. The incident took place earlier this month and the officers were escorting a dangerous gangland criminal to and from Portlaoise Prison to the Criminal Courts of Justice building in Dublin, reports the Irish Examiner.
According to the sources, three of the escorting officers were drinking alcohol in the city while on duty and were unfit to drive the prison van back in the evening. The act is considered to be of huge negligence and the fourth officer had to drive the van back. He was a senior officer and usually they don’t drive while escorting criminals.
There are also reports that the drunken officers asked the senior officer to stop the van for toilets, where the officer refused. But he had to stop the vehicle after arguments with the other officers, which is a serious failure in the duty. The prison vehicles are not supposed to stop randomly while escorting dangerous criminals.
Sources told the Irish Examiner that the officers also ate at a fast food outlet inside the building.
The three officers are under investigation for reckless behaviour and the fourth one also face inquiry as he didn’t request back up while others were drunk. The CCTV footages of the officers entering back to the prison will be used as evidence. The sources also expressed sympathy over the situation that the senior officer is in.