One of Britain's most notorious sex attackers has been released from prison in the Curragh, Co Kildare.
John Cronin, from Tranent in East Lothian, was released from the Curragh yesterday after being sentenced to two years for armed robbery.
Cronin was jailed for life in 1992 for a brutal sex attack on a Tory party activist, known as Judy X, at her Edinburgh home.
His jail term was reduced to six years on appeal and he was released in 1996. Since then, Cronin has been in and out of prison in Scotland and Ireland. Last February he was jailed for robbing a bank in Waterford.
A spokesman for the Prison Service today confirmed that Cronin was released from prison, yesterday. He had spent about six months in the jail which houses just 94 men - mainly sex offenders - after being transferred there from Cork Prison.
After his release, Cronin was taken to Dublin airport and is believed to have flown back to Britain. Police forces throughout Britain have been advised of Cronin's release.
However he is not on the sex offenders' register and is therefore not obliged to inform police of his movements. Cronin's attack on Judy X happened before the register was introduced.
PA