BREAKING: Judge directs prison to accept couple with suspected monkeypox

A District Court Judge has directed the Governor of Cork Prison to accept two prisoners, who are suspected of having monkeypox, after they were refused entry to prison yesterday following their convictions for public order offences at Bandon District Court yesterday.Mr O'Brien had expressed his concern to the court about accepting the pair if they had the virus.

At Bandon District Court today, Judge James McNulty told Governor Peter O'Brien  that it wasn't Ebola that they were dealing with and that the two prisoners concerned could be put in isolation where tests could be carried out by prison medical staff to confirm if they have the virus. He also said Mr O'Brien should raise the matter with the Department of Justice and instructed that both prisoners be bought to Cork and Limerick prison respectively.

Both Paula Canty of 1 St Eltins Crescent, Kinsale and Jerry O'Leary of 1 Greenville Place, Cork city were convicted at Bandon District Court yesterday and sentenced to prison, following their arrest in Riverstick and Belgooly on Wednesday afternoon. When Ms Canty was arrested, she told  arresting gardaí that she had monkeypox and that they and their families would get it. In attempting to resist arrest she tried to bite one garda's finger and was eventually taken to Bandon Garda Station.

Judge McNulty said the claim of having monkeypox by Ms Canty may have been a 'false alarm or manipulated ruse.'

Read more in next week's paper out Thursday September 22nd