Convicted killer awaiting trial in Tullamore makes another application to Prison Service

Convicted killer Frederick Thompson is seeking certain materials from the Irish Prison Service, Tullamore Circuit Court heard on Tuesday.

Mr Thompson is before the Circuit Court on charges alleging assault causing harm and making threats to kill in Portlaoise Prison on separate dates in 2022.

When the accused appeared before Judge Sinead McMullan, William Fennelly, BL, prosecuting, said Mr Thompson's defence had applied for materials from the Prison Service, some of which had not yet been furnished.

Mr Fennelly said the Prison Service had previously had a say in this matter when a previous application was dealt with by Judge Keenan Johnson and he anticipated the new application would involve trawling over similar ground again.

Judge McMullan indicated that because of that the matter would be better left to Judge Johnson and she adjourned it to be mentioned before him in Portlaoise on October 28.

Mr Fennelly said the State will have a clearer position then on where the Prison Service stands in relation to the materials sought by Mr Thompson.

Mr Fennelly also asked that Mr Thompson could appear before Portlaoise Circuit Court by video link because the gardai said there would be more security concerns there than in Tullamore.

Judge McMullan ruled that he could appear in Portlaoise by video link.

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In July Judge Johnson refused an application by Mr Thompson for the disclosure of a number of documents in advance of his upcoming trial.

He said Mr Thompson was a resident of Block A in Portlaoise prison, which is used to house the most violent prisoners in the country.

Judge Johnson said the prison service refused to disclose the information for security and operational reasons.

The judge said he was satisfied that disclosure of the documents was not justified for a number of reasons, including that doing so could put other parties at risk.

He said the documentation requested is not relevant to Mr Thompson's defence.

Mr Thompson's trial will take place in Tullamore after the accused was refused when he applied for it to be heard in Dublin.

He is alleged to have threatened to kill or cause serious harm to a prison officer at Portlaoise Prison, Dublin Road, Portlaoise on May 18, 2022.

He is further charged with threatening to kill or cause serious harm to the same officer and assaulting the officer causing harm at Portlaoise Prison on November 17, 2022.

Mr Thompson, aged 44, is serving a life sentence for the murder of David 'Daithí' Douglas who was shot dead in his partner's shoe shop in Dublin in July 2016.