Fury murderers are taken on day trip to Newcastle

Fury murderers are taken on day trip to Newcastle

26 September 2018

OUTRAGE has been expressed by the UUP after five convicted murderers were allowed out of prison for a Mournes hike and a stroll along Newcastle’s promenade.

Councillor Jill Macauley and Slieve Croob representative Alan Lewis spoke of their fury on learning that the killers were not behind bars as the public expects.

Four of the men were jailed for murdering women — including one pregnant woman. The other is a Loyalist assassin. 

The men were taken by minibus from Maghaberry on Thursday to have a walk in the Mournes after stopping at Donard car park. They were accompanied by two warders in civilian garb.

After their walk, the men went to the promenade where they enjoyed a cup of tea in full view of passers-by, including young children, the Sunday World reported.

The convicts’ crimes makes for grim reading — William Mawhinney (59) was convicted of drowning his wife and mother of two children in a bath at their home in 1995; Gerard O’Kane stabbed his wife to death; Kenneth McConnell suffocated pensioner Annabella Symington in her Belfast home in 1989; Chinese Triad hit man Siu Ching Wong strangled pregnant waitress Candy Ho in Belfast in an arranged honour killing; and Billy Moore was convicted of the murder of Bangor man Richard Hamill in 2003.

Cllr McCauley said that the Ulster Unionist Council in Newry, Mourne and Down District had written to the Northern Ireland Prison Service to voice their concerns over outings in such family friendly and tourist orientated areas,

“I am very concerned that violent criminals are treated to a day out in Newcastle and the Mournes area, allowing them to walk freely alongside unsuspecting members of the public and children,” she said. 

“As a mother myself who enjoys regular strolls along the promenade with my young family, it worries me that these heinous criminals could be walking alongside you, being treated to the luxuries that they didn’t afford their own innocent murder victims.”

She added that the groups would also ask how robust their risk assessments are after recent events.

The revelation of the prisoners’ outing came just over a week after child killer John Clifford absconded while on day release from Maghaberry Prison. He has since been returned to jail.

Mr Lewis said that the public was owed an explanation as to the rationale behind the outing.

“I am furious. There is a need for prisoners, particularly those who are serving long sentences, to be involved in positive engagement and rehabilitation, however, this is an issue of public confidence.”

He added: “Any right-thinking person expects criminals to be in jail not wandering along Newcastle promenade. This will raise serious questions amongst the local community.

 “People are rightly concerned; these men have committed brutal crimes. The public do not expect to be walking alongside prison inmates when visiting Newcastle.”