A prisoner who told a prison officer he would cut "chunks out of her cheeks" and told her colleague he would have his wife and children raped has been sentenced to three and half years in prison.
At Galway Circuit Court, Judge Brian O'Callaghan described the behaviour of Michael Cleary (34) at University Hospital Galway over a number days in October 2013 as "continuous, aggressive and violent".
Cleary, with an address at Lough Mask Road, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, pleaded guilty to one count of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a female prison officer on October 20, 2013 and a further count of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a male colleague, on October 15, 2013.
Read More: Ryan Tubridy hints at who might replace him as Late Late Show host
Both officers were on duty in the hospital ward where Cleary was receiving treatment for TB.
Garda Andrew O'Hara told the court Cleary said to one of the officers, "he would burn down his house and torture and rape his wife and children".
Cleary also told the officer his face would be slashed open in Castlerea Prison and that his wish was to transmit TB to the officer.
Gda O'Hara said Cleary also bit the officer on the arm.
"He said he had never experienced such pain before", the garda added.
Cleary also said he prayed the officer would would die in a car crash.
