A 31-YEAR-OLD former Mountjoy Prison inmate has walked free from court after being acquitted by unanimous verdict of murdering another inmate in the jail almost four years ago.
Declan O’Reilly, Parnell Road, Crumlin, bowed his head and broke down in tears as the jury returned the not guilty verdict, following four hours of deliberations at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
He had denied murdering Derek Glennon in a ground floor corridor of Mountjoy in June 2007.
The 24-year-old died after being stabbed through the heart. He was also stabbed through the lung, stomach and arm.
Glennon’s father and family members walked from the courtroom as soon as the not guilty verdict was returned.
During the three-day trial, the jury had viewed CCTV footage of the fight between Mr O’Reilly and Glennon. It showed them engaged in a sudden and brief struggle, before prison staff arrive on the scene and separated them.
Mr O’Reilly later told gardaí that Glennon had been bullying him for months, forcing him to hide syringes, drugs and mobile phones on his behalf, punching him and threatening to have his brother shot. He said he was terrified to leave his cell every day.
On the evening of June 25th, 2007, Mr O’Reilly said he went to Glennon’s cell to ask him to take back a knife he had been hiding on his behalf.
He said Glennon became angry and through gritted teeth said “get the f--k away from me. I’m going to cut your throat, you little rat.”
They then walked towards the yard where Mr O’Reilly said he thought Glennon was going to cut him or give him a “stripe”. The court heard a stripe is a cut to the face with an item that has been sharpened into a blade so it tears a strip out of the skin leaving a permanent scar.
Mr O’Reilly told gardaí he felt he had to “get” Glennon before he got him.
“He wouldn’t leave me alone. He was texting my brother saying he would cut me up.”
Gardaí asked when Mr O’Reilly had decided to stab him, and he replied “at the cell when he told me to get the f--k away”. John Farrell, a prison officer, also told the jury it was his belief Glennon was bullying Mr O’Reilly.
Following their deliberations, the five men and seven women of the jury unanimously agreed Mr O’Reilly was not guilty.