Courts / Ireland / Report
Killer who confessed to crime 20 years later extradited back to UK
Summary
The High Court ordered the extradition of Richard Curtin, 57, who confessed to setting a fire that killed his roommate 20 years after the offence. Curtin, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison in 2018 for manslaughter, had been released on licence and moved to Ireland. He argued that extradition would breach his rights under the European Convention and the European Charter on Fundamental Rights, claiming that returning to the UK would expose him to ill‑treatment and that preventing his move to Ireland violated his right to travel. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath rejected these arguments, stating that Curtin had not shown a generalised risk of ill‑treatment and that the restriction on his travel was a logical consequence of his licence release. The court postponed the surrender order to allow Curtin to serve the remainder of his sentence, which ends on 6 May.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Killer who confessed to crime 20 years later extradited back to UK. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 6, 1996 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 6 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-02-21 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Outcome: Curtin, with a former address at Great Peter Street in the Westminster area of London, was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2018 for manslaughter. He postponed the order to allow Curtin serve a sentence imposed by the District Court, which ends on May 6.
Places mentioned
- The High Court
- Great Peter Street
- Violet Lane
Topics
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