Side Arm Shock At Prison

A waste disposal truck driver has been arrested at the gates of Mountjoy Prison after handing a loaded gun to stunned prison guards during a security check.

The 32-year-old driver shocked prison officers during a routine check at the prison after presenting a Walther semi-automatic pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition when asked if he was carrying any prohibited items.

Prison officers confiscated the weapon and alerted gardaí from the neighbouring Mountjoy station.

The incident happened at about 10.25am yesterday when the driver arrived to pick up waste from St Patrick's institution – a young offenders' centre in the grounds of Mountjoy.

The Romanian national was arrested, and is believed to have registered the pistol in Romania.

An Irish Prison Service spokesman said: "He arrived to pick up a skip from St Patrick's institution inside Mountjoy Prison, and when asked if he had any prohibited items he handed over the gun."

The driver was carrying the pistol in a leather holster and had two magazines of ammunition.

Fine Gael's Justice Spokesman Charles Flanagan said the inicident was "worrying".

"Today's incident at Mountjoy where a man entering the prison, when asked if he was carrying anything, calmly offered up his firearm, is extremely worrying.

"A number of questions arise in relation to the weapon and individual involved, was the weapon registered here or abroad? Why does a refuse collector need to carry a firearm in going about his job?

"Was he carrying the weapon with the knowledge of his employer? Did the prison authorities previously conduct a security background check on the individual involved given that he was accessing the prison complex in the course of his job?

"It is a concern that a person feels the need to carry a pistol around for his own protection.

"Prison authorities must provide assurances that anybody who is granted access to prison grounds has full security clearance and should clarify whether this was so in this case," Mr Flanagan said.

(DW/BMcc)