Convicted Murderer Absconds from Prison Again, Victim’s Family Criticizes Justice System

The family of a man murdered in Londonderry has expressed feeling “failed by the justice system” after his killer once again absconded from prison. An international police search is currently underway for James Meehan, 55, who failed to report back to Magilligan prison last week to complete his life sentence for the 2007 murder of Jim McFadden in Derry. Mr. McFadden’s daughters, Danielle Bradley and Ashling Graham, believe that the decision to grant Meehan temporary release again allowed him to escape for a third time. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed it is collaborating with police in the Republic of Ireland and other international forces to locate Meehan and return him to custody. The Northern Ireland Prison Service has directly urged Meehan to surrender himself immediately. In 2009, Meehan absconded during his murder trial, missing his sentencing, before later turning himself in to police. Co-defendants Brenda Meehan and her son Sean Devenney also received sentences for their involvement in Mr. McFadden’s death. In 2022, while on temporary release from prison, Meehan left an approved address and subsequently failed to return, leading to an arrest warrant. He was eventually found 14 months later in the Republic of Ireland, extradited back to Northern Ireland, and re-imprisoned. Meehan is one of five prisoners in Northern Ireland currently unlawfully at large. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show, John Burrows, a former Police commander in Derry, stated: “Temporary release is not a right – it’s a privilege, it has to be earnt.” He added, “He has breached trust.” Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie described Meehan’s temporary release as a “failure within the system,” adding that “we fail sometimes to put victims first.” Both Danielle Bradley and Ashling Graham described their father as a “gentle soul” and said the murder had left their entire family devastated. Ms. Bradley shared: “He was just always up for a laugh, we love telling our own wee children now just how funny he really was.” She continued: “When you have your own kids you miss him that bit more, so it’s just really hard to know they are growing up without him.” Mr. McFadden was attacked after attending a family wedding reception in Redcastle, County Donegal. Ms. Bradley, who was 15 at the time, recounted that she and her sister Ashling, then 16, still experience flashbacks from witnessing their father’s brutal attack. The 42-year-old died of a ruptured heart caused by a number of blows to his chest. “It was chaotic – it was just crazy – there was roaring and shouting and then I just remember seeing my daddy lying there,” Ms. Bradley said. “I remember my mammy going over to him and saying: ‘Jim get up, the wains are watching’, but he wasn’t moving. “I didn’t think he was dead, I just thought he was unconscious and then, I don’t even know who phoned the police, I just remember the sirens.” Ms. Bradley stated that the police informed their family last week that Meehan had failed to return to prison from day release. The family told BBC News NI they had previously objected to his day release and did so again this time, given his history of absconding. “I can’t get my head around how they have let him out again.” “I feel let down by the justice system, I feel completely let down – I really can’t believe we are here again.” Ms. Graham asserted that he “should never have been let out on day release in the first place,” labeling the decision as “ridiculous.” Ms. Bradley expressed her belief that their family would now likely have to endure a lengthy extradition process to get him back behind bars. In a statement issued by the Department of Justice (DoJ), the NI Prison Service explained that to prepare prisoners for “release and reintegration back into society,” they initiate a “graduated release into the community” following a risk assessment and representations from victims. It added that while some prisoners abscond while on release, this “should be considered in the context of approximately 4,000 people entering and leaving our prisons every year.” It concluded: “Managing those individuals is challenging and while every step is taken to mitigate risk, this is not an exact science and on occasion they will make poor decisions that lead to them being unlawfully at large.” BBC News NI has also contacted the Parole Commissioners for comment. An Garda Síochána stated they could not comment as it was a matter for the PSNI.