A prison officer's throat was slashed in an attack by three inmates at Limerick Prison last evening.
The attack happened at 7.15 p.m. when the officer was locking up prisoners in cells at the new D wing, which houses prisoners jailed for serious crimes such as murder and armed robbery.
Gardai say three of the inmates turned on him, two holding him down while a third attacked him with a makeshift weapon composed of two razor blades embedded in a toothbrush handle.
The victim, who was slashed from underneath his ear to his throat, was rushed to the city's St John's Hospital and later transferred to Limerick Regional Hospital, where he received several stitches before being discharged.
A married man with three children, the victim had called a number of times for a higher ratio of prison officers to prisoners at Limerick jail. The attack has led to further calls for more prison officers in the jail. Last night a local Fine Gael councillor, Mr Richard Butler, a friend of the victim, backed thecampaign.
"I want to know what a prison officer was doing on his own in that wing with three inmates. I'm calling for a full investigation into the matter," he said.
"I'm also backing calls by the Prison Officers' Association who have said on a number of occasions that the number of prison officers on that wing was inadequate," he added.
"This was a horrific and barbaric random attack but it appears to have been well organised . . . This was nothing short of attempted murder.
"He pulled one arm loose, hit one of the attackers with his keys and managed to get away and lock the gates behind him. He pressed the panic button and when his colleagues came to his assistance he was pumping blood," Mr Butler said.