Court remands prison escapee in custody

A court in Derry has remanded Martin McDermott in custody, charged with assaulting three police officers, resisting a police officer, disorderly behaviour and criminal damage.

The 26-year-old, who is from Raphoe in Co. Donegal, was arrested by the PSNI in Derry yesterday morning after he had escaped from prison in Cavan on Thursday evening.

Mr McDermott was serving a seven-year sentence in Loughan House in Blacklion for the manslaughter of Garda Gary McLoughlin.

The Justice Minister Alan Shatter has called for a full investigation to find out why an inmate, who has been jailed for such a serious crime, would be held in a low security prison.