Prison to probe violent killer’s escape

Prison bosses are examining why a violent killer was not subjected to a higher level of security before he escaped from custody while visiting his sick father.

Christopher Doyle, who was sentenced to 12 years for the manslaughter of an elderly man during a burglary in 2000, gave a prison officer the slip while on temporary release to see his father in hospital last Wednesday.

In a case that shocked the country 13 years ago, Doyle, now 39, along with brother John broke into the home of elderly brothers Paddy and Peter Logan in rural Co Meath and violently assaulted them.

Paddy Logan died from an accumulation of blood around the heart caused by a rupture of the aortic wall.

After serving his sentence, Doyle was back in custody in 2011 to serve a total of six years for a charge of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and two robberies.

It was while serving this term that he escaped from St James’s Hospital in Dublin city.

The Irish Examiner understands this was his third time on temporary release to visit his father.

Sources said that, given Doyle’s violent history, questions were being asked as to why a decision was made to grant him what is known as an “accompanied visit” rather than an “escorted visit”.

Doyle had just one prison officer with him on Wednesday morning and because it was an accompanied visit the officer would not have been expected to be in the room with him at all times.

However, with an escorted visit, the officer, often more than one, would keep the prisoner handcuffed and under observation at all times.

Gardaí are trying to locate Doyle.