Investigation after prisoner dies in Cloverhill incident

A murder investigation is under way after the death of a prisoner at Cloverhill Prison in Dublin this morning.

A 43-year-old man was found dead at around 5.30am after prison authorities were alerted to a row in a cell with three inmates on the D wing.

The victim was from Ballyfermot in west Dublin and known to gardaí for involvement in serious and organised crime

He was a target of the Dublin Crime Response Team and arrested last August after armed officers stopped a car in Ballyfermot and seized a kilo of cannabis and a handgun.

He was subsequently charged with drugs and firearms offences and was on remand in Cloverhill awaiting trial when the attack took place this morning.

A second inmate is being treated for injuries, which have been described as non-life threatening.

He and the third man in the cell have been moved to different parts of the prison to be interviewed by garda detectives.

The scene has been preserved and the Office of State Pathologist and Garda Technical Bureau have been requested.

A Garda Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed to lead the investigation and a Family Liaison Officer has been assigned to the man's family.

The Prison Service expressed its condolences to the victim's family and said his death, like all deaths in custody, will also investigated by the Office of the Inspector of Prisons.

Gardaí say the investigation is ongoing and are working to established a motive for the attack.