Justice committee chairman demands 'full explanation' of how murderer escaped from his funeral chaperone
The DUP MLA who chairs Stormont’s justice committee has said he wants details of exactly how the killer Gary Anderson made off while out on temporary release.
Paul Frew said “the public deserves a full explanation” as to what happened when Anderson – who was three years into a 15 year sentence – ditched his civilian chaperone while on compassionate temporary release at his father’s funeral in Londonderry.
It emerged during the week that the Prison Service had opposed Anderson’s temporary release, but that the High Court had ruled the case for keeping him inside had not been made out.
It ordered he be freed with a civilian chaperone (as opposed to the usual prison officer), though Mr Justice Rooney in the High Court said that the Prison Service had successfully made the case for keeping Anderson’s brother Sean in jail, where he was serving a 17 year sentence for the same murder.
Gary Anderson was to be collected and taken to the courthouse in Londonderry by 9.30am for the 10am funeral, and was then ordered to return to the courthouse by 11.30am.
He was last seen in the Eastway area of Londonderry’s Creggan district, where the church is located.
It is not known if he fled before, after, or during the funeral, or how Anderson’s chaperone was chosen for the task.
The church is about two miles from the Donegal border, and gardai have been informed.
Mr Frew said: “The Prison Service initially refused Anderson’s application, yet the court found that decision was not substantiated by the evidence presented.
"Serious questions must be answered about the risk assessment, the information supplied to the court, and the conditions imposed...
"We also need clarity on why a civilian was entrusted with supervising a prisoner serving a life sentence for murder.”
Echoing comments from SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan earlier in the week, he wondered if the dissident threat to prison officers in places like west Londonderry was a factor in the decision, adding that “if prison officers cannot operate in parts of Londonderry because of the threat from dissident republican terrorists, that is an extraordinary and unacceptable situation”.