Gallagher criminalaction to beconsidered

Gardaí are examining whether or not they can take a criminal prosecution against double killer John Gallagher, who voluntarily returned to the Central Mental Hospital on May 14 after 12 years on the run.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan announced yesterday he had directed one of the country’s top detectives to examine the file on Gallagher who shot dead his ex-girlfriend, Anne Gillespie, 18, and her mother, Annie, 51, on the grounds of Sligo General Hospital in 1988.

At his trial the following year, he was found guilty but insane and sent to the Central Mental Hospital for treatment. He absconded while on day release in 2000 and lived in Britain and Northern Ireland.