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Prison officers threatened during by violent hospital patient

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A prisoner who told a prison officer he would cut “chunks out of her cheeks” and told her colleague he would have his wife and children raped has been sentenced to three and half years in prison.

At Galway Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Brian O’Callaghan described the behaviour of Michael Cleary (34) at University Hospital Galway over a number days in October 2013 as “continuous, aggressive and violent”.

Cleary, with an address at Lough Mask Road, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, pleaded guilty to one count of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a female prison officer on October 20, 2013 and a further count of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a male colleague, on October 15, 2013.

Both officers were on duty in the hospital ward, where Cleary was receiving treatment for TB.

Garda Andrew O’Hara told the court Cleary said to one of the officers he would “burn down his house and torture and rape his wife and children”.

Cleary also told the officer his face would be slashed open in Castlerea Prison and that his wish was to transmit TB to the officer.

Garda O’Hara said Cleary also bit the officer on the arm.

“He said he had never experienced such pain before”, the garda added.

Cleary also said he prayed the officer would die in a car crash.

The court heard that when this threat was put to him interview, Cleary said that would make him laugh. Over a number of days, Cleary subjected the female officer to aggressive behaviour and numerous threats of violence.

Garda O’Hara said Cleary told the officer he was going to “get a carving knife and cut chunks out of her face”.

As he was being taken for a cigarette, Cleary told the woman he would get four lads in a stolen car to wait outside for her.

Garda O’Hara said the officer did not know if this was true and was accompanied to her car by a colleague that night.

Due to her level of concern, she stayed in Galway that night and did not return to her home, the court heard.

On another occasion, Cleary told the officer he was going to break her teeth and smash her face.

He also lunged at the officer and attempted to assault her.

Garda O’Hara said: “He kept shouting he was going to break her teeth and bite the smirk of her face”.

In her victim statement, the prison officer said the Cleary’s violent and aggressive behaviour has affected her quality of life.

She said feels “ill at ease”, not safe and has become introverted.

The threats made it impossible for her to continue to work in Castlerea Prison and she requested a transfer.

Garda O’Hara said the other prison officer declined to make a statement and is trying to put the incident behind him.

Cleary had 108 criminal convictions, 95 of which were committed prior to the 2013 offences. These include convictions for theft, criminal damage and assault. He is currently serving a separate prison sentence for false imprisonment.

The court heard Cleary was due to be sentenced in January 2017 for the threats against the prison officers, but absconded to England.

Defence counsel, Garry McDonald BL, told the court he had been instructed to apologise to the victims. Cleary had attempted to apologise to the officers through their colleagues. At the time of the incident, Cleary had been remanded in custody but was brought to hospital after being diagnosed with TB.

“At the time, he had serious difficulties with drugs and alcohol, more so drugs and had lost his son prior to this,” he added.

Counsel said that language and threats used by his client were “horrendous” and something no person should be subjected to at their place of work.

“What he said to them was totally uncalled for,” counsel said.

Judge O’Callaghan said the two victims were not the only victims, as other people in the hospital had to witness Cleary’s “appalling conduct”.

The judge said it had been suggested the accused’s behaviour occurred while he was coming down off recreational drugs and taking medication for TB.

However, Judge O’Callaghan said the court is proceeding on the basis there is no evidence to support this. He said the two victims were subjected to prolonged aggression and threats.

It was an aggravating factor that the threats were made to two good standing members of the Irish Prison Services.

“His actions were wholly and completely unprovoked,” he added.

The judge said the threats against the female officer were “particularly aggressive and very threatening with very worrying undertones involved from her point of view”.

He said there was no evidence of rehabilitation, but the accused entered an early guilty plea.

Judge O’Callaghan imposed sentences of three and half years and two years to be served concurrently.

Connacht Tribune

West has lower cancer survival rates than rest

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Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.

A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.

For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.

These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.

“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.

In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.

Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.

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Connacht Tribune

Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents

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Galway's Aaron Niland is chased by Cillian O'Callaghan of Cork during Saturday's All-Ireland Minor Hurling semi-final at Semple Stadium. Photo: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile.

Galway 3-18

Cork 1-10

NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.

The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.

Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.

Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.

Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.

Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety

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Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche

GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.

Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.

Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.

“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.

“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.

He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.

“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.

“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.

He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.

The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.

“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

 

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