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The IRSP have hit out at the Governor of Crumlin Road gaol, accusing him of 'vindictiveness and spoiling for a riot' by willfully subverting a court order to suspend punitive action against Republican prisoners, pending a judicial review.
POW Department spokesperson Anna Hughes catalogued the events subverting of one such order in the case of one prisoner, Davy Clinton from Downpatrick. "On April 19th, Davy Clinton was one of 46 Republican prisoners who were brought before the Governor of the gaol and charges were put in relation to a protest in the canteen on Easter Monday. Each prisoner was found guilty even though no one actually witnessed their alledged involvement in the protest. Their visits were removed for 35 days, they lost 28 days association and 14 days remission. "On April 23rd, Davy Clinton took a case for a judicial review of this arbitrary action and Justice Shiefs granted that there was a case and duly suspended the Governor's sentences until after the judgement of the review set for May 9th. "Clinton was then taken back to the prison and on April 24th he was moved from 'C' to 'A' wing, where his 'privileges' were restored. "On the evening of Friday the 27th, Clinton was whisked from 'A' back to 'C' wing whereupon he was charged with pouring liquid under a cell door and damaging a cell door. Again without witnesses he was found guilty and the original punishments were re-imposed. "It is plainly obvious that the Governor has completely side-stepped the direction of the court, and in doing so have subverted it. There can be no doubt that as a result of this action the climate of tension in the gaol has risen considerably. Serious trouble is therefore inevitable." |