A prisoner who was attacked in Mountjoy Prison last Friday has died.
In a statement to the Irish Mirror this morning, the Irish Prison Service confirmed the death.
“The Irish Prison Service can confirm that the prisoner seriously injured in an incident in Mountjoy Prison on Friday 29th July 2022 has died.
READ MORE: Gardaí probe possible link between vicious Mountjoy prison assault and Kinahan mob
“The Irish Prison Service wishes to extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends at this time,” a spokesperson told us.
The spokesperson added that the incident is now the subject of a Garda investigation and a separate investigation by the Inspector of Prisons.
The prisoner has been named as Robert O’Connor (34) from Darndale in North Co Dublin.
As this paper revealed during the week, Mr O’Connor was left badly beaten after four prisoners are suspected to have entered his cell and attacked him.
As emergency services rushed to his aid, sources confirmed that he stopped breathing before he was revived and rushed to hospital. He was then left fighting for his life for five days before he was declared dead this morning.
It is now believed that the shocking attack stems from a personal grudge over an alleged assault that occurred outside of the prison.
Gardai are now set to launch a murder investigation into Mr O’Connor’s death.
Mr O’Connor, who is originally from Darndale in North Co Dublin, has been in custody since October of last year and was just convicted last Wednesday for possession of a semi-automatic pistol in Finglas on October 13th, 2021.
It is understood that the day after he was convicted to six and a half years behind bars, Mr O’Connor was moved from one division of Mountjoy Prison after prison bosses were made aware of an issue between him and a number of other prisoners.
Irish Prison Service bosses then carried out what is known as a “protection assessment” the following day - to establish how safe it was for him to be able to mix with the general prison population.
Sources say as part of that process Mr O’Connor was asked if he felt safe in that division - and he told them that he did. He was then therefore deemed to be safe enough to mix with the prison population in that division.
However hours later at around 5:40pm prison staff were alerted to an incident and discovered that Mr O’Connor had been viciously assaulted in his cell.
It is understood that four prisoners have since been identified as suspects in the case - one of whom is a dangerous member of the Kinahan cartel. Another one of the suspects is a convicted burglar who is serving time for a spate of robberies.
Sources say the attack is not believed to be connected to Mr O’Connor’s firearms conviction - despite rumours. Instead it is believed to stem from a more personal grudge in connection with a prior alleged assault.
Sources say that prison bosses immediately moved to have the cell sealed off in order to allow gardai to investigate the scene. It is also understood that the clothing the four suspects were wearing at the time has been seized by gardai.
CCTV footage from the prison is also set to be handed over to gardai.
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