Thursday 29 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 7687Attempted murder · Co. Dublin

Prisoner stabbed in neck at Mountjoy prison survives

A 31-year-old man from south Dublin was slashed or stabbed in the neck in an exercise yard at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin on the evening of Monday 7 August 2023, which prison sources described as a deliberate attempt on his life. A man in his mid-twenties is alleged to have carried out the attack, and gardaí are investigating it as attempted murder. The Irish Times reported the attack on 8 August 2023, and the Irish Mirror reported on 11 August 2023 that the victim was out of danger and expected to live. No one has been charged, and the main suspect is to be interviewed by detectives in due course.

  1. Reported8 Aug
    2 reports
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A man aged 31 was slashed or stabbed in the neck, and reports differ on which.
  • Prison sources described the attack as a deliberate assassination attempt, and the suspect is alleged to have stabbed the victim in the neck but missed the jugular vein by a fraction.
Where
The attack happened in an exercise yard at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.
When
The attack happened on the evening of Monday 7 August 2023, though the Irish Mirror described it as taking place on the weekend before its report of 11 August 2023.
Cause
  • A hit was reportedly ordered on the victim by an outside drugs gang over a drug debt.
  • A dispute among protected prisoners is understood to have broken out before the attack, and the attack is suspected to be linked to a dispute over drugs in the jail.
Other details
  • The suspect is reported to have arranged to be attacked by other inmates so he could be moved to the protective custody area.
  • The suspect has a reported record of violence and intimidation and is said to have previously threatened prison staff.
  • The victim had been held in protective custody after threats from fellow inmates and was serving a sentence for robbery and other offences.
  • Prison officers rushed to the victim's aid and applied pressure to his neck, and he was taken to the nearby Mater Hospital within minutes.
  • The victim is receiving treatment for serious injuries in a Dublin hospital, is reported to be out of danger and expected to live, and remains under guard.
Investigation
  • Gardaí are investigating the attack as attempted murder and have identified a number of prisoners who were present.
  • The main suspect is to be interviewed by detectives in due course.
Charges
No charge has been reported in the articles.
23 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe victim was slashed or stabbed in the throat. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe victim was stabbed in the neck in what is described as a deliberate assassination attempt. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe suspect arranged to be attacked by other inmates so he could be moved to the protective custody area. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe suspect then stabbed the victim in the neck but missed the jugular vein by a fraction. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe attack happened in an exercise yard at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe stabbing happened at Mountjoy Prison. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe attack happened on the evening of Monday 7 August 2023. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe stabbing happened on the weekend before the article was published. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeA dispute among protected prisoners is understood to have broken out before the attack. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe attack is suspected to be linked to a dispute over drugs in the jail. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeA hit was ordered on the victim by an outside drugs gang over a drug debt. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationA Garda investigation has started into the attack. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí have identified a number of prisoners who were present during the attack and are pursuing a definite line of inquiry. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí are investigating the incident as attempted murder. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe main suspect will be interviewed by detectives in due course. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherPrison officers rushed to the victim's aid and applied pressure to his neck. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe victim is receiving treatment for serious injuries at a Dublin hospital. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe victim was rushed to the nearby Mater Hospital within minutes of the attack. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim is out of danger and expected to live. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim had been held in protective custody after threats from fellow inmates. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim was serving a sentence for robbery and other offences. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe main suspect has a record of violence and intimidation and previously threatened prison staff. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim remains in hospital under guard for his own safety. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 11 Aug2023
    Reportedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Prisoner stabbed in neck in 'assassination' attempt survives and 'out of danger'

    Reports a stabbing at Mountjoy Prison, said to have happened on the weekend before the article, which is not dated more precisely. The attack is described as a hit ordered by an outside drugs gang over a drug debt. The victim is reported out of danger and the suspect is to be interviewed by detectives.

    victim, 31, malesuspect, mid twenties, male
  2. 8 Aug2023
    Reportedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Prisoner critical after attack in Mountjoy Prison, another dies by suicide

    First report of the Mountjoy Prison attack. The article also reports an unrelated death in custody by suicide, which is not a crime and is not recorded here.

    victim, 30s, male