Man’s freedom swim founders

A 25-YEAR-OLD man made an unsuccessful dash for freedom yesterday afternoon when he was being transported from Carrick-on-Suir to Cork Prison.

Though handcuffed, William “Pence’’ O’Reilly, swam several hundred yards into the sea off the Western Bay in Dungarvan before being persuaded to give himself up by gardaí. O’Reilly had appeared before Carrick-on-Suir District Court earlier in the day on a number of warrants and was remanded in custody to Cork Prison. Accompanied by one garda, he was being transported there by taxi when he hatched his escape plan just outside Dungarvan.

A married man living in the Thurles area, O’Reilly faked illness and asked the driver to stop the car so he could get some fresh air. As the prisoner and his escort left the car, O’Reilly made a dash for freedom by skipping over a fence and jumping into the sea. Garda headquarters in Dungarvan were alerted.

After a short while he responded to the garda calls and swam into the back of the Childers Estate housing development, where gardaí were waiting for him and he was taken to the local Garda station.

Insp Tom O’Grady said that while exhausted from his freedom bid, O’Reilly was otherwise uninjured.