The Crown Prosecution Service announced on Wednesday that it would no longer be preparing a case against Strabane man Pearse McAuley, who only hours before was released from an Irish jail after serving ten years for manslaughter.
McAuley, alongside accomplice Nessan Quinlan, were in Brixton prison awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to murder the brewer Sir Charles Tidbury, when they escaped in July 1991.
A CPS statement said: "Having reviewed these cases, the CPS has decided there is no longer a realistic prospect of conviction."
That last phrase is quite true, although obviously not because of any lack of evidence- there is no disputing of the fact that he did escape from Brixton.
Why then no "realistic prospect" of conviction at the very least as Jim Allister says for that crime? Don't worry, rhetorical question.
13 comments:
So how long should McAuley spend in jail?
Whatever the sentence is for escaping from jail in the first place, as I said that is a known fact and crime. Everything else, his other alleged crimes should then have followed the normal legal procedure
Yeah but didn't loads of terrorists from both sides get freed under the peace process.
Like it or lump it, it's the law of the land.
Compromise is sometimes the better path.
"Compromise is sometimes the better path"
The Republic didn't "compromise" with justice though did it when faced with the Mccabe murder? What made that particuliar attrocity morallly different from, for example, the La Mon, Enniskillen or the Pontzpass massacres?
You shouldn't really indulge apologists O'Neill.
I am not up on these massacrees but what did McAuley have to do with them?
In our little state we try to observe the rule of law and take a dim view on cop killers, on the other hand busting out of an English jail is well... kind of heroic I suppose, take for example Eamonn De Valera.
Gary
"You shouldn't really indulge apologists O'Neill."-
I'm not sure anything he's said so far indicates that he's an apologist- I'm also interested in his thinking on this particular case in comparison to what went on in NI.
UU
am not up on these massacrees but what did McAuley have to do with them?
I did say I was using them as examples, comparing the morality of "compromise" on either side of the border.
In our little state we try to observe the rule of law and take a dim view on cop killers, on the other hand busting out of an English jail is well... kind of heroic I suppose, take for example Eamonn De Valera.
McAuley should have faced trial for the attempted murder of a brewer- if he was indeed guilty of that, I wouldn't have described it as in any way "heroic".
Re the dim view in the ROI of "cop-killers"- there are many similar killers of Irish cops who have been released in NI, my point is that there is no difference in the murders committed by these criminals and the McCabe case in the ROI. Why then should we accept that "compromise" of them not receiving their just reward for their crime is morally right here but not in the ROI?
Gary,
I am not an apologist for any murder.
O'Neill,
By compromise I meant that many convicted terrorists from both sides were released early after the good Friday agreement. This was a political compromise effected in order to achieve peace. How many lives from both communities, and the army and the PSNI have been saved thanks to the much denigrated peace process?
I am an Irish nationalist but am not connected with any republican group (I vote Labour down here).
Even the widow and family of Garda McCabe feel McAuley has served his time and that they have some closure. Any crimes he may have committed before the McCabe murder would also have been before the IRA cease fire and the Good Friday Agreement.
I commented on this blog that the recent murder of two British soldiers was indefensible. (I was using the nickname Graycrow then).
B.T.W and finally, I don't know what an "apologist" is.
" (I was using the nickname Graycrow then)."
Ah, then I'll happily confirm that you're most certainly not an apologist (ie someone who excuses crimes on the basis of the supposed motives of the criminals).
"This was a political compromise effected in order to achieve peace."
Is it the basis for a real, long-term peace, it's too early to tell, my gut-feeling is that a peace which is built on such an immoral compromise is not one which is built on firm foundations. I sincerely hope the future doesn't prove me right though.
BTW and completely off-theme, how's the dog?
Good, I'm glad I am not an apologist, I had a feeling it was something bad.
I would agree that foundations don't look to firm.
The rise of the DUP and Sinn Fein implies to me that both communities to have moved to more extreme positions, at the ballot box anyway.
From my point of view, most if not all of the grievances of the original Civil Rights movement have been sorted out and it is up to the Nationalists to try to make the best of the new power sharing structure.
Since Unionists did most of the compromising I can see why they abandoned Trimble, but I find the collapse of the SDLP hard to fathom. I was abroad for most of the '90s so was not following the situation very closely.
The dog is in great form, sure he's spoiled rotten, already had one long walk through the fields this morning and we are going out again soon. Posing around town. Got to make the most of these fine Saturdays, God knows they are rare enough.
Hope your lad is well too.
Since Unionists did most of the compromising I can see why they abandoned Trimble, but I find the collapse of the SDLP hard to fathom. I was abroad for most of the '90s so was not following the situation very closely.
In years to come I think Trimble will be seen in a lot more favourable light than now. The SDLP collapsed because they didn't have a clear political and strategical direction. Also SF were much better organised on the ground and the stigma amongst their potential electorate associated with voting for many of their candidates who have blood on their hands seems to have disappeared.
Re the mutt, apart from an attempt to play with a hedgehog, he's doing very well thanks!
RE the Dog, Ha HA, we came across a hedgehog by the park one night, and the curled up into a ball.
I thought Yogi would just sniff it so I let him walk up to it (he was on a lead).
But of course being a nasty minded little terrier he went to bite it straight away. You should have seen him jump back when his gums hit those spikes. The hedgehog was unharmed.
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