A 55-yr-old inmate suffering from mental illness who strangled a fellow inmate at Cloverhill Prison four years ago has been jailed for ten years, reports RTE.
Michael Connolly, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of murder at the Central Criminal Court in August last year but not guilty of the manslaughter of Mark Lawlor.
Judge Siobhan Lankford today praised the Lawlor family for their dignity throughout the case.
Connolly and Lawlor shared a cell at Cloverhill Prison on the night of November 22-23, 2019.
Both men had mental problems and were alone when Connolly borrowed a kettle from the cell next door and scalded Lawlor before strangling him, reports RTE.
The court heard that Connolly, who is originally from Dublin but moved to Louth, suffered from delusions, including that inmates colluded with prison officials in a “homosexual conspiracy.”
His sister had tried to place him in prison before the attack on Lawlor and contacted gardaí by telephone and email, expressing concerns that an incident could occur if Connolly’s mental health deteriorated further.
Judge Lankford sentenced Connolly to twelve years in prison with the last two suspended to allow him to reintegrate into society upon his release, reports RTE.
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