Gardaí to investigate assault on nurse in Wheatfield Prison

Gardaí are expected to launch an investigation after a female nurse was assaulted during a routine cell visit in Dublin’s Wheatfield Prison on Tuesday.

The nurse was carrying out her rounds when convicted murderer Jeffrey Dumbrell (35) stepped between two prison officers inside his cell and punched the woman in the face.

A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service confirmed that the nurse was treated locally at the prison. While the force of the blow did cause her to fall back, reports that she was knocked unconscious are said to be wide of the mark.

“The prisoner did manage to get between two staff members and punch a female nurse in the face... She wasn’t left unconscious. She did fall back but she wasn’t knocked out.

“He’ll be subject to disciplinary action... It is an assault, and therefore gardaí will be notified and they’ll conduct their own investigation,” said the spokesman.

Prison staff are expected to commence disciplinary action against Mr Dumbrell on Wednesday, although the exact details of his punishment have not been revealed.

An internal investigation will take place alongside enquiries by gardaí.

He and older brother Warren Dumbrell (41) are currently serving life sentences for the murder of 33- year-old father-of-six Cristopher Cawley at a flat complex in Inchicore during a violent attack in October 2006.

Jeffrey Dumbrell is described as a “dangerous” criminal, and has been subject to disciplinary actions in the past after causing a string of disturbances at the facility in recent years.

This includes an episode last month when prison officers required the assistance of three riot teams to subdue him following a rampage which lasted half an hour.

The incident was said to have occurred on April 11th, directly after Eamonn Lillis was freed from Wheatfield after serving a five-year sentence for killing his wife Celine Cawley in 2008.