Joyrider who killed garda escapes from minimum security prison

A prisoner who killed a garda was on the run last night after escaping from a prison in Cavan.

Martin McDermott, aged 25, who is serving a seven-year sentence for the manslaughter of Garda Gary McLoughlin in 2009, went missing from Loughan Prison, an open centre in Cavan, shortly before 5pm yesterday evening.

The prison is understood to have minimal external security in place.