Ulster Unionist Party Justice Spokesperson Doug Beattie MC MLA has raised serious concerns over the handling of the case involving convicted murderer Thomas McEntee, following his day release from prison. Beattie highlights discrepancies in the Justice Minister’s statements to the Assembly and calls for urgent clarification, stressing the distress caused to the victims’ family and the potential risk to public safety.

Doug Beattie MC MLA said,

"The murder of Marjorie and Michael Cawdery by Thomas McEntee in 2017 was brutal and disturbing. It has had a lasting, long term, impact on the Cawdery family and the wider community right across Portadown and Craigavon. To his credit, Charles Little, the son-in-law of Michael and Marjorie, campaigned for change in how those with potentially dangerous mental health problems are dealt with by the Police and Health Trusts. However, just eight years into a pitiful ten-year tariff life sentence, Thomas McEntee has been allowed out of prison on day release, at times on his own. This led to serious questions being asked of the Justice Minister, and now the family are challenging the answers the Minister gave to the Assembly.

“The family are adamant that the Prison Service did not notify the Victims Commissioner as the Minister stated, they are clear that it was they who notified the Commissioner and requested that the Prison Service contact the Parole Commissioners. How is it right that the victims’ family are the ones left to pick up the pieces of this catastrophic systems failure?

 “The family also challenged the Minister when she said, “I am aware that an inquiry followed those murders, and it is fair to say that before anyone is released for pre-release testing, their mental health condition has to be stable and well managed, and they will only be released if those issues are being addressed.” Yet at the sentencing of McEntee, Dr Kennedy and Justice Colton agreed, “The future violence risk for life threatening harm in my view is thus a significant one, which will require indefinite management and supervision,” and “He has already demonstrated concerningly that even when quite mentally unwell, he has an ability to present himself as mentally well, even to experienced mental health staff.”

“This clearly brings into question the pre-release testing criteria and the devastating systems failure, which the Minister herself outlined, leading to McEntee being allowed out of prison and possibly putting the public in danger. It is also worth noting that the Minister said McEntee’s tariff had expired. That was not the case, his tariff is not due to expire until June 2027, so the Minister, possibly inadvertently, misled the chamber. Either way the answer was wrong given pre-release testing starts up to three years before possible release. Starting before the tariff has expired begs the question of what is the point of the tariff if it can be mitigated in this way? The tariff component of a life sentence represents the ‘punishment’ part of the sentence which no release on licence is permitted.

 “It is clear from engagement with the family that they are at odds with the Minister regarding some of her replies.  As the Justice spokesperson for the Ulster Unionist Party, I am concerned that under scrutiny some of the Minister’s responses when questioned are factually inaccurate and at times misleading.  To that end, I will be writing to the Minister to ask for clarification at the earliest opportunity, and it is important that the Minister clarifies her answers to the victims’ family who will be feeling let down by our justice system.”