Prisoner had phone in his prison cell to ring his daughter, court told

Jonathan Gleeson (30) was on punishment at the time, and he made the rash decision to contact his daughter, his solicitor said.

Judge David McHugh imposed a one-month sentence, consecutive to a jail term which Gleeson is already serving.

The defendant, with an address at Stanaway Road in Crumlin, admitted possession of a mobile phone without permission of the governor in Wheatfield Prison on October 10, 2022.

Garda Ciara Mearns told Blanchardstown District Court that Gleeson was found with the phone following a routine search by prison officers.

The court heard that Gleeson had 121 previous convictions, though no previous convictions for this type of offence.

Defence solicitor Wayne Kenny said that Gleeson was a single father of one daughter.

The defendant was on punishment at the time and he foolishly used the phone to ring his child, Mr Kenny said.

He asked the judge to be as lenient as possible, and not extend Gleeson’s time in jail. He had already been punished in prison, the court heard.