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Updated 13.32

GARDAÍ ARE INVESTIGATING after an incident in which a number of prison officers were bitten by a Midlands Prison inmate, who has claimed in the past that he is HIV positive.

It’s understood that three officers were bitten by Lovemore Dube, a 28-year-old Zimbabwean national, who had demanded medication at a time when it was not due to be dispensed.

Dube is serving a seven-year sentence for the rape of a woman in 2012.

Over the course of that incident he pinned his victim to a bed and raped her, before ‘laughing in her face’ and claiming that he was HIV positive and had hepatitis C.

A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service confirmed “that an incident took place”.

“The matter is under investigation. The gardaí have also been informed as this constitutes an attack on staff,” he said.

“At about 5pm yesterday at Midlands Prison a prisoner was due for relocation.”

The prisoner refused to comply and lay on the landing. A number of highly-experienced officers subsequently used a series of professional restraint techniques in order to move the prisoner, when the attack began, resulting in the officers sustaining injury.

The prison service would like to commend the officers in question for their highly professional conduct during what was a difficult procedure.

“Appropriate support is in place for all staff,” he added.

It’s understood that Dube is highly agile and possesses considerable strength which necessitated the deployment of the highly-trained prison officers.

It’s also understood that the officers in question, who are believed to have been bitten in the hand and arm area, in one case through to the bone, will have to undergo tests to determine if there has been any infection given the nature of the incident.

Originally published 11.20am

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