The Department of Justice has described as misleading an evening newspaper report that a convicted murderer was allowed out of Mountjoy Prison on temporary release this week. The Evening Herald said Stephen Rock (33), who escaped from Mountjoy three months ago but was later recaptured, was "walking the streets of Dublin".
In a statement, the Department said Rock was allowed out this week to visit a seriously ill relative in a Dublin hospital for a short time. He was accompanied by three prison officers and was handcuffed at all times.