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THE PRISONER WHO escaped from a low-security prison in Cavan while serving time for the manslaughter of a garda had absconded from the same prison before, a report into the incident has revealed.
The news emerged as Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said the decision to put a convicted killer into the minimum-security Loughan House prison was wrong.
Shatter said not enough consideration had been given to the gravity of the “heinous offence” which had been committed by Martin McDermott.
A report compiled by the Irish Prison Service shows that McDermott, 26 – who was serving a seven year sentence for the manslaughter of Garda Gary McLoughlin in Donegal in 2009 – had previously escaped from Loughan House in 2007 while in custody for a previous offence.
He absconded from custody at the low-security unit in November of that year and returned six days later.
The report gives the reasons why Martin McDermott was transferred to Loughan House a second time, revealing that the Midlands Prison where he had previously been in custody was overcrowded at the time, as were Mountjoy and Cork jails. It states:
The Midlands Prison serves as a relief valve for both Cork and Mountjoy Prison during times of severe overcrowding.
McDermott had led gardaí on a high-speed chase before crashing into McLoughlin’s patrol car, killing him.
Shatter also commented on the decision to transfer him to Loughan House, saying:
It was felt that this would facilitate family visits and would have been beneficial from a rehabilitative perspective. Having considered the facts of the case it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that this decision was wrong
The Minister added:
First and foremost, in making the decision sufficient consideration was not given to the gravity of the heinous offence which had been committed. Neither was adequate consideration given to other criteria that should have been taken into account.
The report by the Irish Prison Service found that McDermott had been transferred to Loughan House just twelve days before he absconded on 15 March.
The report also found that McDermott was first noticed missing during a lunchtime check but gardaí and the Irish Prison Service Headquarters weren’t notified until 5.25pm that day.
McDermott is currently in custody in Northern Ireland serving a four month sentence for assaulting a PSNI officer, resisting arrest and criminal damage.
Minister Shatter said he has directed that all necessary steps are taken to ensure that a mistake of this nature does not reoccur.
“In this context, I have been assured by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that all necessary steps are currently being taken to prevent such a reoccurrence,” he said.
- Additional reporting by Michael Freeman
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Makes me sick to read self serving comments like ” To facilitate family visits ” . What about the victims family ? They can only visit a cold graveyard when some prick in the Prison Service decides to be a do-gooder to a career criminal and his family.
I think to describe the official as a prick is a bit much, they made a mistake but no need to get personal
Sorry, that is my way of describing someone who does not do their homework before they make a decision that will affect the lives of others. I have good friends in the prison service but I feel there is no sympathy for victims in this country.
@David Conroy I also Have very close friends in the Prison Service They are Frontline Staff and This decision was not made by F.L STAFF this was I.P.S. That is Responsible along with the Minister for JUSTICE HEADS SHOULD BE ROLLING
What disrespect Shown to the Deaceased Garda and his Grieving Parents Family Colleagues and all who knew and loved Him
@Vocal How can anyone get personnel no-one has a name of any person who made this terrible decision and that person should be named and shamed and along with Alan Shatter should resign
So true.
Personal attack by referring to the official as a prick, it is just name calling, by all means state incompetent or negligent but name calling is personal, even without the guy being identified
@Bernadette & Vocal Outrage
I agree with David (Conroy) I am sure he and I mean the judge or whoever gave the sentence. Should have ruled that he be given 25 years to life (litterly) for what he did. The law is just so wrong. Why isn’t Shatter reviewing these laws? He not only is the Minister for Justice (I laugh) but is also a solicitor. Surely he has enough experience to know that it needs a huge overhaul and update?
Yeah but who made the decision and have they been fired?
The person who made this awful decision to place a killer into an un-secure prison should be name and directed to account followed by being dismissed! Now saying they were wrong isn’t good enough! A family trying to grieve for there loss and this must be so hard take never mind the small sentence the scumbag got.
It can only have been political pressure or family connections. The fact that we’ve been given such vague details indicates to me that it was political pressure from someone in the governments camp.
Mr Shatter
Are you keeping the high security cells for the Garlic and T.V licence offenders and people who don’t pay the household charge?
While real criminals are put into ”Holiday Camps”?
Cop killer and only 7 year sentence. That should be a death row. Plus Low security prison??? Does this mean Prison for those who wants to flee
V nice
the move from portlaoise to Cavan stinks of political interference… if so they should admit it and resign
Sean Beag, if the decision was made due to overcrowding, and a lack of places in other high/medium security prisons, then surely it’s a failure of the system, not an individual failure? In that situation, shouldn’t we perhaps look to solve the overcrowding problem, rather than allowing the Minister for Justice to give the appearance of competence, by finding someone to fire?
Well fiachra, there are plenty of people doing small sentences for minor crimes that could have been sent there if overcrowding was the problem.
christine make another attempt of an impression of a journalist
Yes Mr. Shatter it was wrong (only because ye were found out)
Excuse the bad language but “no shit Sherlock “
Kill a police officer and get 7 years in a cushy prison, kill a country and get off with a golden handshake. Don’t pay an unfair tax and you’ll be fined, have your privacy laws violated and anything else they can do to harass you.
And people wonder why I left.
Nobody wonders why you left Jason when you come out with comments like that!
Absolute disgrace! Can’t imagine how this mans grieving family feel. They’ve basically been told their son’s life was worthless! Such a joke of a judicial system. The guy who tried to break I to shatters home will have the book thrown at him and no doubt stuffed into mountjoy!
Oh, was it wrong Mister Shatter..you patronising git…
Only in Ireland ……. This happened in Shatters watch and he should resign immediately…… This escapee Killed a member of An Garda Siochana on Duty Good Grief if our Front Line employees are not respected by the Minister???? This Garda was on Duty he actually saved his colleague’s life that fateful night
This just disgraceful that Alan Shatter is still in office at the DEPT OF JUSTICE “JUSTICE” being the operative word here
Does that IPS report reference this story??
According to the local paper here in Cavan, this is the SECOND time McDermott escaped from Loughan House!
“Garda killer Martin McDermott, who recently went on the run from Loughan House while serving a sentence for the manslaughter of a young Garda in 2009, had previously walked out from the very same prison facility while serving a sentence, The Anglo-Celt can reveal.
The Anglo-Celt understands that 26-year-old McDermott from Raphoe, Donegal went missing from the Blacklion-based open-prison while serving a three-month sentence back in November 2007. He was subsequently “at large” for more than five days before being returned into custody.”
Kill a guard and get 7 years, evade vat and get 6 years, definitely something really wrong here. Goes to show that all this government care about is money and have no respect for people. Without a shadow of a doubt Shatter should resign, but he won’t and some poor sod will be made scapegoat for this.
@made,
Two rules, two worlds! Their’s and ours! A basset hound (whom Shatter has a similar look of) would do a better job than this half wit!
He says ‘it’s a disgrace’. You’ve been in the job over a year, you’ve being living in Ireland all your life, surely you knew, being a solicitor, that this scum was in an open prison? bla bla bla bla bla and more of the same. I wonder do these journalists that have the mics shoved in his face ever get tired of hearing the same o same o? If it were me I’d be temped to hit him with the mic!
RESIGN SHATTER!!!!! Its only a matter of time until you will be shown for the incompetent fool you are.
Another whitewash! Until some form of accountability is introduced to deal with the inadequate in the Irish public service, this country will always be thought of as a corrupt banana republic! Shatter, you’re a total disgrace! Either resign or bring whoever made this appalling decision to book!
How could this happen with a Garda killer? I am sure the guys who broke into Shatters house will get a tough sentence in Alcatraz!
So that’s it? It was wrong. It won’t happen again…blah blah blah. This guy is not suited to his job and inspires zero confidence. There was definitely some representation made here on behalf of the scumbag’s family. No doubt about it and wouldn’t this be a nice story in the press. Why else would this whole thing be so vague? Meanwhile a muppet burglar picks the wrong house, not as part of any grand plan, and remains in custody having been refused bail and will be made an example of. If it were Joe Blogg’s house would this man be still refused bail? Yeah right…
The sad thing is folks, when this latest uproar all dies down there is a strong chance that mc dermott will once again be moved back to loughan house to facilitate his family visits because unfortunately that is the way our watery prison system works. What a sad state of affairs our justice system has become
The mind boggles. 7 years for killing a guard, 6 years for not paying VAT. It’s an outdoor asylum we’re living in…
This stinks to high heaven. There is definitely a job here for a good investigative journalist. It’s not good enough to issue a report saying it was wrong – we have to be given the real reason he was moved. Why should his family get this consideration. He didn’t give consideration to the family of Garda McLoughlin when he drove that car.
No respect to the dead Garda his family, or current gardai working,the whole thing is a disgrace to his memory there should be lots of people sacked as a result
low-security prison?
Manslaugther?
7 years?
He murdered a Garda – life in prison no ifs no buts and I mean life, let him die in there of old age, never to see the light of day again!
@Keith
It’s quite obvious that it has to do with some kind of personal relationship/relative. Maybe, somebody on this thread knows and hopefully will let us know. The ass, judge whoever made that decision should have been given his P45.
Just so wrong. I wonder how the man is that also got 6 years (garlic tax) just like this scum of the earth. Where is this scum now? Another open prison or Mountjoy?
Were ye not just alerted to this fact by a person commenting on the recent post about the same man?? Top investigating!!
Right so, Alan shatter resign… Who do you suggest should replace him?
If a killer of a person employed to protect the citizens from crime and outrage is treated so inappropriately, the ordinary law-abiding citizens must rank very lowly in Mr. Shatter’s estimation!
Sadly, it is not only Fianna Fail who were perverse and dysfunctional in their actions and decisions.
Mr. Shatter is o,k,; he will be protected and cossetted – but what about elderly or other vulnerable persons who cannot have a private protecting force at their door-step?
Perverse decisions like allowing this recidivist criminal to dodge his punishment for killing a protector of the general public exposes Mr. Shatter and the government as untrustworthy and unwilling to carry out their statutory obligations to the citizens of the State. Not to mention their oath of office, if that matters any more!
This betrayal of trust will need to be remembered by all voters; there is one way in which to show these arrogant incompetents that they will be made answer for their betrayal of law-abiding citizens.
If the politicians do not know what that is, I suggest that they ask Mr. Michael McDowell, one-time Minister for Justice!
What is it with ex-lawyers when they get elected to government; stage-fright? Or unable to hack real life?
One wonders will Labour survive this capitalist and right-wing hotchpotch of unsuitables?
Maybe we would be better off if they don’t.
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