Garda probe has been started after criminals managed to get a gun into Wheatfield prison. They are said to have flung the gun over the wall of Wheatfield Prison in Dublin. The gun, which is thought to be an airgun, was found instantly by watchful prison officers who handed it to the gardai. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at Wheatfield prison, not far from Clondalkin in Dublin. An investigation has begun to apprehend those who attempted the smuggling.
Speaking to the Mirror, a source commented, “This was a pellet gun thrown sometime after 2pm, it hit a fence and broke into several pieces. It didn’t get into the yard. There is a road around the prison and a bit of grass between the inner wall and the outer perimeter wall. The yard is fenced off – there is a fine mesh there also – and there is a net over the roof of the yard to stop things coming in.” Investigators and prison staff are fearful that the gun was intended to intimidate officers and could have even been used in an escape attempt.
The source continued “We don’t know yet who it was intended for. It would be safe to assume that if they got it in they would have been trying to pretend it was a real gun. It is hard to see how would use it logistically; obviously, you could intimidate somebody. It is not Hollywood and this is something that just wouldn’t have worked. The reality is that the armed support unit would be outside the gate long before you’d get anywhere near it. It is hard to see how it could be used to any great effect.”
“If it would be used it would be terrifying, as you can imagine that the victims would not know [it is fake] at the time. It would be a very difficult situation for the staff but these people haven’t thought this through. Criminals aren’t in there because they have thought things through. It is something we have to deal with in a good few of the prisons. It is something that we have put in place and we have constructed netting and fencing to combat it.”
The Irish Prison Service confirmed the attempted incident and said that gardai are now handling the probe. According to spokesman they, “can confirm that an imitation firearm was thrown over the wall of Wheatfield prison on Saturday. Gardai were notified immediately and they will investigate.”
Wheatfield houses a number of high profile inmates and has seen a number of people from the Hutch/Kinahan feud housed there. Daily checkpoints have been launched on the road outside the adjoining Clover Hill Prison in an effort to thwart criminal activity.
Don’t forget you can keep up-to-date on all things Nova over on our Instagram page – follow us for all the craziness of radio life coupled with news, sports and LOTS of cool competitions! Click here…
