Courts / Offaly / Report

Murderer "made conscious decision to become fugitive", extradition hearing told

Summary

In a High Court hearing on 28 March 2019, the extradition of 64‑year‑old Roy Norman Kenyon was discussed. Kenyon, convicted of murdering Margaret Potts in 1971, had been serving a life sentence in the UK when he absconded to Ireland in 2003. He lived under the alias Alan McPherson in Tullamore for 15 years before being arrested in Eyeries, Co. Cork, on 2 May 2018. The court heard that Kenyon was in the process of having his sentence reviewed when he fled. His barrister, Sean Guerin SC, noted that Kenyon had been deemed suitable for release in 1985 after completing the punitive portion of his sentence, but he absconded again, losing five years of potential release each time. Kenyon has not committed any further offences since the murder. The hearing will continue next month.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Murderer "made conscious decision to become fugitive", extradition hearing told. Charges or matters: murder. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• 2nd May 2018 Incident
• 2019-03-28 Publication

Why: "Just because he could not confine himself to the demands of compliance with open conditions, he has repeatedly lost chunks of his life," he said, quoting from reports describing Kenyon as institutionalised. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report