Courts / Meath / Report

Convicted killer arrested here after absconding from NI

Date
2023-05-29

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Kells

County
Meath

Summary

A man convicted of murder in Northern Ireland was arrested in the State on an extradition warrant following his disappearance from custody seven months earlier. James Meehan, aged 53, with addresses in Derry city and Kells, Co Meath, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009 for the murder of a man in Derry in 2007. He had absconded while on home leave in October 2022 and was declared unlawfully at large by the Northern Ireland Prison Service. Gardaí arrested Meehan by arrangement at a garda station in Dublin this morning. At the High Court, his defence counsel submitted that he had moved to live with his brother in Kells to work and had notified the Department of Justice of his whereabouts in December. The judge noted Meehan was living openly and had engaged with authorities. Bail was granted on condition of a €2,000 deposit, daily signing-on, provision of a mobile phone number to gardaí, and surrender of any travel documents. He was remanded to appear again on 12 June.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Convicted killer arrested here after absconding from NI. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

May 2007 Incident
Sunday, 9 October 2022 Incident
12 June Adjournment
2023-05-29 Publication

Why: Ms Brosnan told Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo that her client had left the UK jurisdiction to go south and live with his brother in Kells in order to work there. CNI source report

Case subjects

James Meehan

Background Person

Finding: Convicted

Outcome: Convicted; James Meehan (53) with given addresses in Derry city and Headford Grove, Kells, Co Meath, was sentenced in 2009 to life imprisonment for the murder of popular Derry man 'Gentle' Jim McFadden in May 2007.; He remanded the defendant to appear again in court on 12 June.