David Ford: no proof of Taylorjail assault

Londonderry MLA Pat Ramsey asked David Ford to detail “the circumstances surrounding the assault of Tony Taylor, a prisoner in Roe House, where he sustained a broken wrist while awaiting transport to court.”

Mr Ramsey also asked “whether, as has been mooted, Mr Taylor began the altercation, how he did so when handcuffed and connected to a chain which meant that he could not lift his hands.”

The local SDLP MLA also asked “whether any prison officers have been charged by the PSNI or reprimanded by the Prison Service in relation to misconduct.”

Mr Ford replied: “Following an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident, it was found that the prisoner became aggressive when refused permission to bring documents to court.

“Under the Data Protection Act (1998) it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the specific details of the investigation other than to confirm that the prisoner has been informed that no evidence has been found to support his complaint that he was assaulted by a member of prison staff.”