Prison officer in fear after inmate threatened rape

A prison officer has told a trial in Limerick that she was threatened with rape and sexual assault on a number of occasions by an prisoner at Limerick Prison.

Barbie Kardashian, 22, who was born a male, but now identifies as a female, denies a number of charges of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a fellow inmate and to a prison officer on dates in February, April and June last year.

Roisin Linnane, who has been working as a supervisory prison officer in Limerick for the past seven years, told a jury at Limerick Circuit Court that she was shocked and terrified and feared for her safety after threats to rape and sexually assault her were made by Kardashian on 25 April and on 9 and 11 June 2023.

"I never feared for my safety and never feared a prisoner, but in this case I did, and I also feared about the release date," Ms Linnane said.

She outlined a number of occasions in which the threats were made to her.

The first time was on 25 April when Ms Linnane had asked Kardashian if she had cleaned the shower after using it. She said Kardashian was sitting "in defiance" on a chair near the shower and she observed her through a glass pane in a large red security door which is locked when prisoners are in the shower area.

When she asked her a second time had she cleaned the shower, the accused came up to the glass pane and said "I will sexually assault and molest you", Officer Linnane told the court.

On another occasion, on 9 June 2023, she went to stop Kardashian shouting profanities through her cell door at another witness in the case, Tegan McGhee.

When Officer Linnane told her through the cell door glass pane to stop, she said Kardashian said: "I haven't forgotten you. I will rape you and molest you".

The witness became upset as she gave details of a second threat that day made by Kardashian as she returned to her cell with food. She threatened she would place her hands between Ms Linanne's legs and rape her with an implement.

She also outlined two further threats of rape and sexual assault on the evening of 11 June, when Ms Linnane was the officer on night duty.

When asked for her reaction to this series of threats, Officer Linnane said: "Overall I was shocked, terrified and feared for my safety. I never feared a prisoner before, but in this case I feared for my safety, and feared about the release date."

The trial is continuing.