Minister accepts recommendation for John Shaw’s temporary release

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Minister for Justice accepted a recommendation that John Shaw be granted two days of escorted temporary release per year, the Court of Appeal was told. The decision had been made before a hearing on 14 January.

The proceedings were reported on 4 February 2020. Shaw had been in custody in Ireland for almost 44 years, the report said. He and Geoffrey Evans were arrested for the abduction, rape, torture and murder of Elizabeth Plunkett in Wicklow and Mary Duffy in Mayo. Both men received life sentences at the Central Criminal Court on 9 February 1978.

The Parole Board had recommended two escorted outings per year, but the Minister refused the recommendation in a letter dated 29 November 2016. Shaw’s lawyers challenged that refusal. At the January hearing, his senior counsel asked the Court of Appeal to quash the decision because no reasons had been given.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said the decision to accept the recommendation had been sent to Shaw in a letter dated 9 December but was not communicated to his lawyers until the morning of the 14 January hearing. The court was told that neither barrister had read the email containing the decision that morning. The judge said it was a serious matter that the hearing proceeded when the case was moot.

In June 2016, a dynamic risk assessment found Shaw to be at a high level of risk of reoffending. That year, the Parole Board also recommended that he remain in Arbour Hill prison to allow speedy access to medical treatment.