A FORMER prisoner has brought an action for damages against the governor of Wheatfield Prison for serious injuries sustained after a bucket of boiling water was thrown over him by another inmate while he was jailed there.
Gary Breen claims that, just before the incident occurred, a prison officer had told him he was in for "a big surprise".
Mr Breen (31), Hillview Grove, Ballinteer, Co Dublin, who, at the time of the incident on January 16th, 1999, was serving a 12-month sentence for escaping from Garda custody, said he was hospitalised for a month and had to receive skin grafts as a result of the incident. The inmate who poured the boiling water over Mr Breen subsequently got four years' jail.
Mr Breen is suing the prison governor and the State, who deny liability and deny they deliberately and consciously allowed the inmate to attack Mr Breen.
Mr Breen was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to slashing a man's neck on a Dart train in March 1998. He was released in 2004.
Mr Breen told the court he was watching television between 6.30pm and 7pm when a prison officer, who had warned him earlier to watch his back, unlocked the sluice room on the landing. He said an inmate poured a bucket of boiling water mixed with sugar and bleach over him from behind.
He was also struck with the bucket and fell to the ground. As he fell, he said he saw two prison officers who were present on the landing running off. He said he was kicked and punched by the prisoner for two to three minutes until the officers returned.
The court was told the claims that the prison officers had "legged it" would be denied.
Cross-examined by Gerard Clarke SC, for the State, Mr Breen agreed that two officers in the television recreation room at the time could not have known what was to happen.
The hearing before Mr Justice Paul Gilligan continues today.