‘Illogical’ to move MacArthur to open jail

TRANSFERRING killer Malcolm MacArthur to an open prison would be illogical unless other elements of the pre-release programme are put in place, according to a prison reform group.

Junior Justice Minister Willie O’Dea is ready to make a decision on MacArthur, who has spent more than 20 years behind bars for the murder of nurse Bridie Gargan in 1982. The minister is expected to rubber stamp a parole board recommendation to transfer the murderer to Shelton Abbey but block elements of a pre-release programme, such as day or temporary release or outings.

Minister O’Dea received the file within the last week after Cabinet approval was given to allow a decision on the parole board recommendations. The Department of Justice said he was studying the file but would not make a general announcement of his decision.

Prison reformers argue the whole point of transfer to an open prison is to prepare a person for release.

“If it’s true, then the logic of it is entirely questionable,” said the outgoing chair of the Irish Prison Reform Trust, Valerie Bresnihan.

“It’s like giving with one hand and taking with another.

“It’s completely illogical and sounds to me to be a fairly pathetic appeal to the lowest common denominator of public opinion.

“If you are trying to make sure that he’s not a threat, then you have to prepare him to live in society.”

If Mr O’Dea, who will be making the decision because Justice Minister Michael McDowell was part of MacArthur’s defence team, opts for transfer he can also expect criticism from the family of Offaly farmer Donal Dunne, believed to have been murdered by MacArthur.

They have always claimed a deal was done whereby the charge of murdering Mr Dunne was dropped in return for MacArthur’s guilty plea to the Gargan killing. His family believe the 57-year-old remains a danger to society and oppose any move to release him.

Ms Gargan, a young nurse, was beaten to death in Dublin’s Phoenix Park in July 1982. Three days later, MacArthur is alleged to have travelled to Co Offaly and shot Mr Dunne. After a nationwide manhunt, he was arrested at the home of then Attorney General Patrick Connolly, an old friend of the MacArthur family.

There was national uproar when details of the case emerged. The attorney general resigned and Charles Haughey coined the phrase “gross, unbelievable, bizarre, unbelievable”, later shortened to GUBU.