Opinion

Prison service facing serious questions over absconded murderer

The Northern Ireland Prison Service is facing serious questions after a convicted killer was able to abscond while on accompanied temporary release in Belfast city centre.

Police issued a warning that Christopher Kerr, who murdered Catholic schoolboy Michael McIlveen in Ballymena in 2006, was dangerous and should not be approached.

The murder of the 15-year-old was a brutal sectarian crime which caused a deep sense of shock throughout Northern Ireland.

The teenager, known as 'Mickey Bo', died from brain injuries a day after being chased by a gang and struck with a baseball bat in Ballymena town centre.

Kerr, now 32, was jailed for life in 2009 and given a minimum term of 13 years after a jury convicted him of murder but that verdict was quashed on appeal and a retrial ordered.

During a second trial in 2013, he pleaded guilty to the joint enterprise murder of the teenager and was given a tariff of nine years in prison.

Although Kerr was apprehended in the Antrim area within hours of going on the run, the fact that he was able to give prison officers the slip during a trip to Belfast must be regarded with the utmost concern.

The prison service said the circumstances of Thursday's incident would be investigated but given the considerable public alarm which followed the news that a killer was on the loose, it is essential that the findings of any report are fully disclosed.

It also needs to be explained why this man, who is not due for imminent release, was taken from the jail for an accompanied trip.

Thankfully he was found and returned to prison but that does not lessen the distress and fear caused to the McIlveen family who have already suffered so much.

It is clear from their statement that the PSNI considered that Kerr posed a risk to the public so it needs to be asked why he was deemed suitable for a temporary release scheme.

The safety of the public must be paramount in all such cases.

At the very least, there needs to be a review of procedures within the prison service to ensure that people are not exposed to any danger from violent offenders taking part in pre-release programmes.