One of the three men jailed over a botched €350 million drugs smuggling operation off the coast of Co Cork appeared in court today in relation to his extradition back to the United Kingdom.
Perry Wharrie is wanted by the British authorities for disappearing after being released on licence from a life sentence for murder in 2005.
In 1989 the 48-year-old was jailed for life for the murder of an off-duty policeman in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, who tried to disarm a robber during a raid on a bank van.
He was released in April 2005 after 17 years in prison and a year later vanished, breaching the terms of his parole by leaving a specific address in Essex and leaving the jurisdiction.
He was one of a three-man gang who had held up a security van outside a bank.
Off-duty police officer Francis Mason attempted to tackle one of the armed men but was fatally shot in the back by a second.
Wharrie vanished until July 4th last year, when he and three other English men were arrested in west Cork over the multi-million euro drug smuggling operation.
Their boat, laden with drugs, capsized in rough seas after one of the gang had filled the two high-powered petrol outboard motors with diesel.
After a 10-week trial Wharrie - a career criminal from Loughton, Essex - and two other men were given a total of 85 years in prison over the drugs operation.
Wharrie and Martin Wanden (45) of no fixed address, were both jailed for 30 years while Joe Daly (41), of Bexley, Kent, was given a 25-year prison sentence.
A fourth man, Gerard Hagan (24), of Liverpool, pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in November.
The High Court today adjourned the extradition case against Wharrie until October 15th when a date will be set for a full hearing.
The court heard that since his conviction and sentence, Wharrie's counsel want to amend the objections against his extradition.
PA