Ciaran Shiels of Madden & Finucane, said:
“Yesterday the prison administration agreed to facilitate a visit with my client Christy O’Kane this morning, Wednesday.
“I attended the prison at 9.30am. During the course of the morning, my client who was still within Roe House was told on six occasions that I was not present in the prison. At the same time I was being told in the legal visits area that there was a delay in bringing Mr O’Kane across because prisoners’ representatives were meeting with the Prisoner Ombudsman.
“Mr O’Kane was eventually brought to the prison minibus at 11.35am to be transported to the legal visits area, however staff then activated an alarm, shutting down all movement within the prison. Despite the fact that Mr O’Kane was no longer on the wing, prison staff forced him to remain on the bus until after the conclusion of legal visits at 12.15 by which time I had been told falsely that the prisoner had refused the legal visit.
“Such conduct is in clear bad faith and does nothing to de-escalate an already tense situation.
“We have this afternoon lodged judicial review proceedings in the High Court on behalf of Mr O’Kane and they are listed for hearing tomorrow morning.”
