Prisoner had phone in cell to ring his mother

An inmate who was found with a mobile phone at the Midlands Prison has been given a two month suspended sentence.

Joe Crawford, 36, 45 Corrach Bui, Rahoon, Galway admitted having the phone in his prison cell on Landing D3 in the Midlands Prison on April 5 last.

In evidence, a Garda Detective said the phone was discovered under his bunk in his prison cell. He said the accused made full admissions and had 88 previous convictions but none for having a mobile phone in prison. 

Solicitor Aonghus McCarthy said his client has had a long standing struggle with drugs. He said the man was admitting to possession of the phone and had it to contact his mother who lived alone. 

He asked the Judge to note the early plea. He was honest immediately in admitting he had it, although he couldn’t tell gardai where it came from.  

Mr McCarthy said his client had suffered a lot of tragedy in his life. He said the man was from Limerick and would have been impacted by the feud between rival drug gangs in early 2000s. He said the man had suffered with homelessness and addiction. 

Mr McCarthy said his client had already been punished in prison with what was known as “40 days and 40 nights”, where “they don’t get their phonecalls, they don’t get their visits,” he explained. 

Judge Conor Fottrell imposed a two month sentence which he suspended for 12 months.