A prisoner beat and bit a correctional officer because he was told to take off the holy medal he was wearing, a court has heard.
Jonathan Donovan (24), O’Devaney Gardens, North Circular Road, Dublin, was sentenced to 18 months but will not serve any extra time as he is already serving a prison sentence until 2014.
The court heard there were worries about the prison officer having contracted a disease during the biting but he was later given the all clear by blood tests.
Donovan has 74 previous convictions including gun possession, robbery and multiple burglaries. He was on remand awaiting sentence at the time of the assault.
Donovan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Officer Adrian Marr at Cloverhill Prison on April 2nd, 2009.