Mother says son had not complained about prison conditions

THE mother of one of the six Mountjoy Prison hostage takers has expressed surprise at her son's involvement in the siege, saying he never previously complained about the prison's living conditions.

"I visited him on Monday and he was quite happy then. He didn't say anything was wrong, said Mrs Veronica Ferncombe, mother of Eddie Ferncombe, who is serving a 10 year sentence for manslaughter.

"I can't understand why he's doing this. Those other guys have nothing to lose; they're just starting their sentences. But he hasn't got much time left. His problem is he is easily led. That's what got him in trouble in the first place."

While he had not complained about the living conditions, she said he may have found his prison sentence too hard to take.

"He was an only kid, he wasn't even 18 when he went in. Now he is nearly 25 and for the last two years he has been in a small confined space. After a while, I suppose, it must close in on him," she said.

Although her son, a vegetarian, had protested before about the prison food, she said he had no complaints about that now.

She claimed, however, that he had been the subject of ill treatment in Mountjoy and had allegedly been beaten on a number of occasions by prison officers.

Having talked to him at Mountjoy Prison yesterday, she said he had given an assurance that no one would be harmed in the siege, and that he would give himself up if he was granted access to a solicitor. She said the six had intended to get on to the roof of the prison but were prevented from doing so.

"I don't think they planned for it to happen this way," she said, referring to the stand off last night. "Something went wrong in their plan.

While she confirmed a syringe was used in the siege, she denied the six prisoners had iron bars or other weapons.

She added that her son, from Harelawn Drive, Clondalkin, was fearful of the consequences of the siege. "He's terrified he'll get a hiding. That's all he's worried about at the moment,"she said.

The family of another prisoner involved in the hostage taking, Paul Ward, from Windmill Park in Crumlin, who is facing charges of conspiracy in the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, was more critical of the conditions inside the prison.

"It's like a pig sty. It's not fit for anyone to live in," said one of Mr Ward's sisters.

Pleading her brother's innocence, she said that, as a remand prisoner, he should be separated from convicted criminals. "He hasn't been convicted of anything yet. It's not right that he's kept there," she said.