Man who slashed victim’s face on run from Loughan House

Paul Neilan

A prisoner convicted of slashing man’s face with a bottle has gone on the run from Blacklion open prison Loughan House.

Dubliner Samuel Connolly was convicted of assault causing serious harm in June 2010 and given a four-and-a-half-year sentence.

The Anglo-Celt understands that Connolly had less than three months to run on his sentence before his release and had recently completed a temporary release on the weekend of August 29-30.

He walked out of the prison on Friday, September 6, and has not since been located.

It is not known why Connolly, who sources describe as a 'model prisoner’, went on the run so close to his release in December. He had been sentenced to seven years imprisonment, with the final two-and-a-half years suspended.

Fracas

Connolly was transferred to Mountjoy's training unit where he was involved in a fracas with another prisoner and, following disciplinary action, he was then transferred to Wheatfield Prison. There, Connolly, who is gay, asked for protection from the general prison population as he feared he would be subjected to homophobic victimisation.

The authorities granted his request in accordance with prison rules but took the view his safety was not threatened by being among the general prison population.

He was jailed for an horrific assault, which occurred after the Gay Pride parade in June 2009.

The 24-year-old from Donaghmede claimed he had no memory of the attack - which left his vicitm needing 120 stitches and plastic surgery - after drinking 10 cans of beer, vodka and taking head shop drugs. He had 34 previous convictions at the time of his sentencing.

The Irish Prison Service would not comment other than to confirm that the prisoner is missing.

He had been transferred to the facility in the summer from Wheatfield. The sentence he was given now effectively stops and will resume when he is taken back to secure prison Wheatfield.

His escape comes 18 months after Garda-killer Martin McDermott absconded only to be captured in the North.