A prisoner who attacked a prison officer with a shiv made from razor blades melted into a piece of prison cutlery, leaving him permanently disfigured, has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Benjamin Morrissey (24), who Judge Martin Nolan heard has been in custody almost all of his adult life, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, which carries a maximum of ten years.
The court heard that the attack happened in Mountjoy Prison in February 2025.
Garda Niall Murray of the Prison Liaison Unit said three officers were carrying out a general search of the landing, which slightly delayed the usual 2 pm unlock. When they unlocked the cell Morrissey was in, he came out of his cell holding the weapon, “roaring and shouting”.
He moved towards one officer, who tried to push him back, before Morrissey, formerly of Backpackers Citi Hostel, Gardiner Street Lower, Dublin, then went for another officer who tried to restrain him. Morrissey swung the blade and struck Officer Dolan across the face, cutting him from the lip to the chin.
One of the other officers described seeing his colleague with “half” of his lip “hanging from his face”.
Officer Dolan was taken to the Mater Hospital, where he underwent surgery and stayed overnight. Investigating Gardaí photographed the scene and his injuries.
Morrissey, who has almost 80 previous convictions, was arrested on the 18th of April 2025. He told gardaí he did not deny the assault, that he had made the weapon that morning, and that he wanted to cause a “threat” in order to be transferred out of Mountjoy. The court heard he was labouring under a “delusion” that he was being sexually abused in the prison.
When he was charged on the 11th of September 2025, he claimed that he had acted in self-defence.
The court heard Officer Dolan needed plastic surgery and was in the region of 50 stitches, and that the muscles and nerves in the affected area were severed.
Medics told Officer Dolan that it is unclear whether he will recover fully. He suffers trauma and flashbacks and has lost around €12,000 in earnings, the court heard.
Morrissey has previous convictions, including a sentence imposed on the 11th of March 2022 for serious harm, attempted robbery and threats to kill, and for producing an article in the course of a dispute.
Counsel for Morrissey argued that his client was in a psychotic state at the time and believed he was being sexually abused by prison officers.
Garda Murray said he was not aware of any such abuse and the court heard it may not have been real, though Morrissey said “it felt absolutely real” to him at the time. Counsel said that his client believes cannabis use triggered psychosis and that he has since developed “schizophrenia”.
The court heard that the accused was “shocked and remorseful” when shown the CCTV and images of the injuries and wished to convey his “heartfelt remorse” to a man who had “done nothing other than his job”.
Judge Nolan heard Morrisery left school after the Junior Cert, is now in Portlaoise Prison and is doing well, and helps other inmates when he can.
Having heard the evidence, Judge Nolan said the case was “quite difficult” to sentence. He accepted Morrissey was labouring under psychiatric delusions and was not mentally stable at the time, but said the court must deal with him as a “sane person”, as the defence had chosen not to seek a special verdict. He described the weapon as “savage”.
He said Morrissey had a “tough background” and a long history of offending.
The court imposed a sentence of five years, with the last two suspended on conditions of good behaviour and two years’ post-release supervision. The sentence will start when the sentence Morrissey is currently serving expires.