Serious offence to threaten prison officers judge tells inmate who threatened to 'slice officer'

An inmate who called a female prison officer “a tramp” and told her he would “slice her” has been jailed for two and half years.

Damien Clarke (40) of North Strand, Drogheda, Co. Louth pleaded guilty to two counts of making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to a prison officer at Cloverhill Prison on January 3, 2022.

Imposing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday, January 27, Judge Orla Crowe said that prison officers perform an important function in society and to threaten one in the course of their work was a serious offence.

She accepted that Clarke had pleaded guilty at an early stage and that he was suffering from mental health issues and had polysubstance abuse issues at the time.

Judge Crowe imposed a sentence of three years and suspended the final six months on strict conditions including that Clarke engage with the Probation Service for two years upon his release from prison.

Garda Mark Grant told Fiona Crawford BL, prosecuting, that the first complainant was on duty from 8am on the day in question, assisting with the unlocking of prisoners' cells to let them go to breakfast.

Clarke told the prison officer that he had moved landing to get away from her and called her a “tramp”. 

When he returned a short time later, Clarke told the prison officer in an aggressive manner: “When I get you, I'm going to slice you. You're nothing but a tramp.”

The court heard the complainant felt he was capable of carrying out the threat as he had been hostile towards her in previous dealings.

At around 8.30am, Clarke asked a male prison officer to move him to a different landing. When the officer said he would check if this was possible, Clarke's demeanour changed. He then told this prison officer that he would “box the head off him” if he didn't arrange to move him.

The male prison officer told Clarke to get his breakfast and go back to his cell. Clarke continued to scream and shout abuse. He also made a gun symbol using his thumb and finger.

When asked what that meant, Clarke said; “You know what it means. You'll see at your house”.

Other prison officers also observed Clarke's behaviour towards their colleagues. Victim impact statements were submitted to the court, but not read aloud.

Clarke has 44 previous convictions including 12 for theft, 13 for public order offences and one for assault causing harm. At the time of this incident, he was on remand.

Gda Grant agreed with Luigi Rea BL, defending, that Clarke had longstanding polysubstance abuse issues.

He accepted that Clarke appears to be a different person following a period of treatment at the Central Mental Hospital and a new medication regime.

Mr Rea told the court that his client has seven children and another child was stillborn in 2015. His client has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, was transferred to the Central Mental Hospital last August for treatment and seems to be doing well.

A psychological report was handed to the court.