A LIMERICK Prison officer told a court she was “terrified” when an inmate told her she would rape her with an “implement”.
Roisín Linnane told Barbie Kardashian’s trial she feared for her own safety following the alleged threat while she was working on a landing that held the accused in Limerick Prison.
“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 (prisoner’s) release date,” Ms Linnane told Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
Barbie Kardashian (22), of no fixed abode, denies three counts of making threats to kill or cause serious harm to Ms Linnane on dates in April and June 2023.
Ms Kardashian also denies a fourth count, regarding an alleged threat to kill or cause serious harm to Tegan McGhee, a fellow inmate at Limerick Prison, on February 25, 2023
Ms Linnane, who has worked at Limerick Prison for the past seven years, gave direct evidence that Barbie Kardashian issued a number of threats to rape and sexual assault her on April 25, June 9, and June 11, 2023.
She alleged the first threats were issued after she asked Barbie Kardashian if she had cleaned a shower after using it, saying that the accused sat “in defiance” on a chair near the shower.
Ms Linnane said when she asked the accused a second time if she had cleaned the shower, Barbie Kardashian replied: “I will sexually assault and molest you.”
The witness alleged that, on another occasion, when she asked Barbie Kardashian to stop shouting profanities through her cell door at a fellow inmate, Tegan McGhee, the accused told her: “I haven’t forgotten you. I will rape you and molest you.”
During Ms Kardashian’s barrister’s cross examination of Ms Linnane, a video recording of CCTV footage showing Ms Linnane, another prisoner officer, and two female prisoners in a corridor at the prison, was played in court of the alleged incident.
Ms Linnane became visibly upset in the witness box earlier while giving evidence of another alleged threat by Ms Kardashian who was returning to her cell with food in which “she said that she would put her hands between my legs and rape me with an implement”.
Mr Sexton asked Ms Linnane, “and where is that footage?”, to which Ms Linnane replied, “that’s above my pay grade”.
‘I was extremely shocked, upset, and disgusted’
On Tuesday, Limerick Prison officer Aiden O’Meara gave evidence that he heard Barbie Kardashian threaten to rape and kill Tegan McGhee at the prison on February 25, 2023.
“She threatened to kill her (Ms McGhee), and she threatened to rape her with an implement and leave her in such a way that she could not have children,” Officer O’Meara alleged.
“I have no doubt that the threat was made with malice and forethought.”
Ms McGhee told the court she had complained about Ms Kardashian in respect of dirty showers on the female prisoners prison landing.
“Barbie said, ‘I’m going to rape you, so you can’t have any more children’. I was kind of in shock, and I pressed the emergency button in my cell for the officer to come to the door,” Ms McGhee alleged.
“I know her voice, she was the person who said it. It’s not really an Irish accent, it’s a sort of American accent.”
“I was extremely shocked and upset and disgusted that someone could say something like that.”
Under cross examination from Mr Sexton, Ms McGhee agreed she had never actually met, seen, nor spoken to Ms Kardashian prior to their alleged exchange on the day.
Class Prison Officer Catherine Halley, who had a senior supervisory role on the female prisoners landing at the time, said she heard the accused tell Ms McGhee, “if I get my hands on you I will rape you with an implement and you will not be able to have kids again”.
On Monday, prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan told the jury that Ms Kardashian was born a male, named “Gabrielle Alejandro Gentile, to Venezuelan parents in County Meath”, and in 2020 changed names to Barbie Kardashian by deed poll, “and (she) successfully applied for a gender recognition certificate, and changed from male to female on the 18th of August, 2020”.
The trial continues before a jury of seven women and five men.
