Prisoner gouges own eyes out in Northern Ireland

London: Northern Ireland’s prison service has been challenged to hold an urgent review into how a prisoner at the province’s top-security jail was able to gouge his eyes out and mutilate his sexual organs inside his cell earlier this month.

Sean Lynch, an inmate from Derry city, has been left permanently blind after he inflicted the injuries on himself while on remand at Maghaberry prison outside Belfast.

The 23-year-old man’s family have called for an investigation into the injuries, which also included the prisoner slashing his wrists.

Derry member of the Northern Ireland assembly Pat Ramsey has written to devolved justice minister David Ford asking him to investigate a “shameful failure of the duty of care”.

Lynch’s family told the Derry Journal that the injuries were self-inflicted while Lynch was on remand in Maghaberry sometime between June 2 and 3.

Ramsey said there should be an urgent case review into the incident at the high-security jail. He added: “This is an extremely distressing case for this young man and his loved ones, who I have spoken with. They, rightly, cannot understand how their son was able to inflict such horrific injuries on his body when he was meant to be, it is believed, under enhanced supervision.

“Something has gone badly wrong, and a thorough investigation must take place to ensure this never happens again.”

Recently elected independent republican councillor and ex-Real IRA prisoner Gary Donnelly brought Lynch’s family to meet with a group of Irish parliamentarians to discuss the cause.

Donnelly said: “I brought them up to tell their story and the TDs (members of the Irish Dil) were shocked at what had happened and said they would look into it.

“I think the treatment of this young man is a disgrace and the prison staff who were obviously negligent in his care should be suspended pending a full investigation.”