‘Don’t let murderer out because he’ll do it again’

EVIL Gerald Barry was handed a double life sentence with a chilling warning that if he was released he would rape and kill again.

Barry, 29, who is already serving life for the rape and murder of Swiss student Manuela Riedo, was given two concurrent life sentences for the double rape of a French student.

Earlier this week Barry pleaded guilty to the oral and anal rape of the 21-year-old French student at playing pitches in Mervue, Galway, on August 16, 2007, and to the theft of her personal belongings.

The rape occurred just seven weeks before he murdered 17-year-old Ms Riedo as she walked alone along a railway path leading to Galway City on the night of October 8, 2007.

In her victim impact statement, read by gardaí, the French woman said: “He is not a human or a man. He is a liar, a rapist and a murderer. I beg you not to let him out because he will do it again.”

The family of Ms Riedo said they hoped “the devil” never walks the streets again, and reiterated they will be taking a case against the Irish State, as revealed in the Irish Examiner.

Mr Justice Paul Carney said Barry had “a quite extraordinary history of previous convictions”. He said the Mervue man had “a propensity to kill and rape” and was highly likely to do so again.

From a young age Barry racked up short sentences for crimes such as theft, drugs possession, burglary and violent disorder, as well as innumerable road traffic offences.

These sentences were punctuated by spells in Trinity House and St Patrick’s Institution.

In 1996, he was involved in the killing of 26-year-old Colm Phelan from Tipperary, who died after being struck on the head with a bottle in Eyre Square, Galway, and in another vicious assault he blinded an elderly man.

In handing down his judgment, Justice Carney said considering the offence, the effect on the victim and the accused’s continuing danger to society, he was justified in imposing the maximum sentence in this case – in spite of his guilty plea – of life imprisonment.

The life sentences, the judge indicated, were to run from the date of the sentencing. Judge Carney refused leave to appeal.

According to recentparole board figures, criminals sentenced to life imprisonment are serving an average of 17 years in custody.

But given the nature of Barry’s previous convictions and his crimes, two life sentences for rape, coupled with the life sentence he is already serving for murder, legal sources have indicated he could spend the rest of his life in jail. How long he serves, however, is left to the discretion of a parole board.

The Rape Crisis Network called on the legal system to make greater use of reliable risk assessment when considering release on bail.

Executive director of the network, Fiona Neary, questioned how a repeat offender who had committed the most serious of crimes could be granted bail. She said it “beggared belief”.

“The 2007 Criminal Justice Act empowers Garda officers of the rank of superintendent or higher to object to bail on the grounds an accused is likely to commit a serious crime while on bail. Gardaí had opposed bail in this case, and yet it was granted,” she said.

“Like many others, I feel ashamed at how our legal system failed the Riedo family and the French woman he pleaded guilty to raping. These crimes were all committed while Barry was on bail.”