Prison officer suspended over cell note
A prison officer has been suspended after a Prison Ombudsman report claimed that an officer had planted a note in the cell of a dissident republican suspect.
The note found in the cell of Brendan McConville, who is accused of murdering Pc Stephen Carroll in Craigavon in 2009, contained personal details about former Maghaberry jail governor Steve Rodford.
Mr Rodford resigned shortly after the discovery was made in September 2009 amid fears he was under threat.
The findings were made by Ombudsman Pauline McCabe, who completed an 18-month investigation into the incident at Maghaberry jail.
In a statement released to UTV, the Prison Service confirmed police are now carrying out an investigation.
“We have launched a disciplinary investigation into this matter which has been adjourned pending the outcome of a police investigation.
“A member of staff has been precautionary suspended in accordance with our code of discipline.”
The spokesperson said the Ombudsman’s report highlights a number of issues which the Prison Service is taking “very seriously.”
The report says: “On the balance of probabilities the note was planted in Mr McConville’s cell to try to encourage the governor of Maghaberry Prison to reconsider planned changes he was proposing to make at the prison.”
Kevin Winters, the solicitor who represents Mr McConville, said he will now mount a legal challenge to the integrity of the investigation against his client.
He said Ms McCabe’s report “completely vindicates the case made by him that he was set up to suit some wider sinister agenda”.
He added: “My client doesn’t accept at all that one member of prison staff acted alone – he wants to know the full extent of the conspiracy to both frame him for a serious crime and at the same time remove a prison governor from office.
“This is a devastating blow to the credibility of the prison regime and we intend to raise the findings in the courts.”
