Turkish man attacked in jail less than 24 hours after he was remanded in custody

THE Turkish barman charged over the murder of boxer Eamonn Magee Jr sustained a broken cheekbone during a jailhouse assault.

Orhan Koca, 32. was attacked on the remand wings of Maghaberry prison on Wednesday and needed stitches to his right eye.

The attack – said to have captured on prison CCTV cameras – came just 24 hours after he was remanded in custody charged with the murder. He denies any involvement.

Now Koca has made a written request to be held in “complete isolation’’ in the jail’s segregation unit for his own safety.

The revelations came just a few hours after the 22-year-old was buried in west Belfast.

Around 1,000 mourners – many wearing a flash of red as it was his famous colour – attended the funeral mass in Hannahstown,

In a statement last night, the Prison Service confirmed the attack on Koca was under investigation.

“We can confirm that an incident involving a 32-year-old remand prisoner in Maghaberry took place on Wednesday, 3 June.

“PSNI have been informed and an investigation is ongoing. The police have also confirmed to us that they are investigating the incident,” the statement added.

Koca’s solicitor Eamon O’Connor said his client was attacked after leaving his cell for a family visit.

“He was going from the cell to the visiting area. Two other prisoners were speaking with him. He turned around and then he was hit in his face.”

Mr O’Connor added that Koca also suffered “possible nerve damage” with a loss of feeling around his mouth.

He said that Koca attended his family visit immediately after the attack “to make sure that someone saw the injuries that he sustained”.

Prison staff took him to the Ulster hospital in Dundonald for treatment before being returned to jail.

His solicitor said there was concern over attack as prison authorities have a “duty of care” to all inmates.

He added that the Koca’s family have contacted the Turkish Consulate in Scotland about the attack.