THE parents of one of the prisoners holding four officers hostage in Mountjoy jail said they believed their son had been misled into taking part in the crisis that began last Saturday night.
Stephen Galvin (25) has been in Mountjoy since February 1993 where he is serving a 10 year sentence for robbery, with three years suspended. His parents, Rose and Richard Galvin, hoped he would be freed early next year. He is one of eight children, aged from 30 to 11 years.
Mr Galvin said yesterday he hoped the situation would be resolved quickly and the prison staff released safely. But he refused to make a public plea to his son to give himself up. "We know nothing about the situation, we know nothing about the facts. I am not going to say he is guilty or otherwise," he said from his home at Kilmore Road, Knocknaheeney, in Cork city.
However, he believed it was possible his son had been put under pressure to become involved. "It is possible he was misled. The son I know would not do this. He is not a hardened criminal," said Mr Galvin.
His family has been in contact with the prison authorities in Dublin, and Mr Galvin said they were willing to go to Dublin to speak with their son if requested. The family has been told by the prison authorities to remain in Cork.