Escaped murderer back in prison

A convicted murderer, who escaped from a Wicklow prison six years ago, has been handed over to the governor of Shelton Abbey Prison in Arklow to serve out the remainder of his life sentence.

Forty-year-old Dublin man Stephen Rock was brought before the Central Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday today after being located by police in London.

Rock was jailed for life on November 22, 1988, after pleading guilty to the murder of James Kavanagh. Mr Kavanagh was beaten to death with a pickaxe handle on June 12 that year at Naas Road, Bluebell in Dublin

On December 29, 1999, the prisoner, who was from Cremona Road in Ballyfermot, absconded from custody and had not been seen until recently, when he came to the attention of the London police.

Last month, the DPP was granted a bench warrant for the convict’s arrest, and a European Extradition Warrant was executed in the UK.

Sergeant Barry Butler of Crumlin garda station told the court that he had accompanied Mr Rock on the plane from the UK.

He said that when they landed on the tarmac at Dublin airport at 3pm, he executed the bench warrant and immediately brought him before the Central Criminal Court.

Mr Rock appeared for himself in court and had nothing to say during proceedings.

Mr Justice Paul Carney directed that he be re-lodged in Shelton Abbey to continue to serve his life sentence.