THE Department of Justice has asked for a report from the prison authorities into the escape of a convicted armed robber outside Limerick Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Martin Casey (19) from Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, Limerick, was taken to the court after what the Department referred to as an "administrative blunder." Another man of the same name was listed for a court hearing and Casey was taken from Limerick prison to the courthouse on Wednesday morning.
As he was being taken out of the court at around 5 p.m. he was said to have "slipped his handcuffs" and escaped. Gardai said last night he was still at large.
Casey had been sentenced just over a week previously to a three and a half years term for armed robbery.
In a statement yesterday the Department of Justice confirmed that the other man due in court that day was not in custody in Limerick prison. "The person brought to court bore the same name as the name included on the list of cases supplied routinely by the Circuit Court directly to Limerick prison.
"The prison authorities had no reason to believe that the person being brought to court was not the person named on the court list."
One prison source said officers regularly check with court offices to confirm the identity of a person listed for a court appearance. Daily court lists are sent to prisons with around 10 names per sheet. Some lists could have more than 100 names. A bill number is used to identify the person required in court.
The prison source said officers routinely ring the courts office to get more information, such as a date of birth and last known address, to verify the identity of the prisoner.
According to the Department's statement, "it became evident that the person before the court, although of the same name, was not the person who should have been there".
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, has requested an investigation into the manner in which court lists are sent to prisons, as well as a full report on the incident.
"The problem arises because the technology is simply not being used to allow courts offices to give prisons the information they need, to properly identify prisoners, the prison source said.
The latest blunder follows Mrs Owen's announcement of the establishment of independent bodies to run the courts and prisons. A commission chaired by Supreme Court judge Ms Justice Susan Denham had been asked to report on how the Courts Services Board should be set up.