Prisoner 42807 calmly begins his life in a cell, with aid of Bible
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Monday July 23 2007
HE had been sentenced to life imprisonment only hours earlier for the murder of his wife and faced the likelihood of up to 15 years behind bars.
But Joe O'Reilly remained relatively calm as he settled in for his first night in a prison cell.
He was taken under escort directly from the Central Criminal Court on Saturday night to Mountjoy Jail. There, the man who became a household name throughout the country during his trial was treated like any other inmate convicted of murder.
He checked in his belongings and was allocated an individual number - prisoner 42807 - that will stay on his file while he remains a guest of the nation.
'Lifers' are put on suicide watch when they are committed to prison. This is part of normal procedure and means they are kept under special observation and checked by staff every 15 minutes.
The close watch usually lasts a couple of days, until the prison authorities are satisfied that the inmate has settled in and is no danger of inflicting self-harm.
O'Reilly's calm demeanour convinced the authorities he was not at risk. Yesterday afternoon they eased the requirement for regular checks, although he was still observed frequently.
Request
After his prison breakfast yesterday, he attended Mass with other inmates. He was then brought on parade before the governor. Asked if he had any particular needs, he asked for a copy of the Bible.
His request was granted and he took the Bible back to his cell while he awaited a decision on where he was to be transferred. Criminals convicted by the Central Criminal Court are committed initially to Mountjoy but it has a largely transient population. Inmates serving life or other lengthy sentences are usually transferred to either Arbour Hill Prison nearby, Wheatfield in west Dublin or the Midlands complex beside the maximum-security Portlaoise Prison.
After lunch yesterday - chicken, potatoes, carrots and turnips - O'Reilly was readied for a move to the Midlands. Shortly before 2pm he left Mountjoy to be driven the 50-mile trip in a prison van.
Prisoner 42807 was taken to the C1 special segregation landing, where he will spend the initial part of his sentence, in a single cell.
He will be kept under 23-hour lock-up, served his meals in his cell and allowed out only for one hour's exercise on his own, under the watchful eye of prison staff.
Among his companions on the C1 landing are Stephen Egan, who is accused o murdering another prisoner, Gary Douche, in Mountjoy last year; James Martin Cahill, who is serving a life sentence and is under special protection after giving information to gardai about some of the Limerick feuding gangs, and another inmate accused of seriously assaulting a prison officer.
O'Reilly has a TV set in his cell along with his Bible.
Last night, no doubt, he reflected on the events of the last 21 days as his trial made national headlines on TV, radio and in the newspapers.
The court heard, in the absence of the jury on Friday, that O'Reilly told gardai he would kill himself if he was found guilty.
He also has time to think about how long he is likely to spend behind bars.
A few years ago, a life sentence meant you might qualify for release from prison after eight or nine years.
But all that changed under former justice minister Michael McDowell, who insisted that a life sentence must be in double digits.
O'Reilly will not be eligible to make his first parole application until he has served seven years.
He is not expected to be let out permanently until he has completed at least 13 years, and possibly 15.
The court heard, in the absence of the jury on Friday, that O'Reilly told gardai he would kill himself if he was found guilty.
This was stated during an attempt by the prosecution to revoke his bail and keep him in custody until the jury had finished their deliberations.
The judge rejected the request.
- Tom Brady
