Killer who went on the run for almost a year jailed

A convicted killer who was unlawfully at large for almost a year after absconding while on day release from prison has been handed a 12-month sentence.

James Meehan, 56, was given a minimum 14-year life sentence in 2009 for the murder of father-of-four Jim McFadden in the Shantallow area of Londonderry in 2007.

When he absconded on 9 December 2024, Meehan was on licence for a previous offence of being unlawfully at large.

On Tuesday, a judge at Antrim Crown Court told Meehan he would spend half the 12-month sentence in custody and half on licence.

Judge Peter Irvine told the 56-year-old while he was entitled to credit for pleading guilty at a court appearance last week, he "undoubtedly had no other course but to plead".

He told Meehan that but for the guilty plea, the sentence would have been 18 months.

The court was told prison staff from HMP Magilligan had dropped Meehan at the train station on the morning he absconded.

The agreement was that Meehan would take the train to Belfast where he was due to meet his brother and sister, before returning to the prison before 18:30 GMT.

He failed to return and was circulated as unlawfully at large, a prosecuting barrister told the court.

Meehan was captured on CCTV around Belfast city centre before telecommunication evidence suggested he crossed the border into the Republic of Ireland around 15:00 local time.

The court was also told Gardaí (Irish police) were able to trace him to an address but when they spoke to him, Meehan told them he was aware he was unlawfully at large but that he had no intention of going back into Northern Ireland.

That triggered extradition proceedings, culminating in Meehan appearing in court in December 2025.

"So he was unlawfully at large for around a year," Judge Irvine said.

The prosecution barrister said that having been dropped off at the train station Meehan had been "left to go about on his merry way."

The court was told it was the second time extradition proceedings had to be instigated against Meehan.

In a statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said the extradition had "followed a lengthy and complex investigation".

"Officers worked alongside colleagues in An Garda Síochána to extradite Meehan from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland last December," the force said.

"Those who violate strict conditions in place while on day release from prison, will be brought to justice by the PSNI, and held accountable before court for such absconding."

Ulster Unionist Party justice spokesperson Doug Beattie said Meehan's reduced sentence for admitting his guilt had "made a mockery of our justice system", adding it was a system missing a "common sense approach".

"What the judiciary has done is made it clear that it pays to go unlawfully at large," Beattie said.

"What should have happened is that he should have been made to serve the 12 months he was unlawfully at large and add six months to that sentence."