THE PSNI is seeking the return of a sex offender who went missing when on probation in Belfast and was found yesterday by gardaí in Co Wicklow.
Paul Hunter Redpath (37), originally from Stranraer, Scotland, broke the terms of his approved accommodation in south Belfast.
It is understood that Redpath, who has served a three-year jail sentence and has gone missing before, is considered a risk to the public, especially young girls.
In 2006 he also went missing before being spotted and detained by gardaí in Dublin.
Sinn Féin and SDLP representatives in Belfast have called for a review of the handling of such offenders.
On Monday, police first appealed for information on the whereabouts of Redpath, who is also known to abuse alcohol.
There was relief yesterday when he was taken into custody and there were calls for the monitoring of sex offenders to be reviewed.
Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey said: “While I would wholeheartedly welcome the fact that this man has been apprehended, this case poses serious questions about the PSNI’s ability to manage the large number of sex offenders who are being housed in the south Belfast area.”
The SDLP’s Carmel Hanna, who also represents South Belfast, called for Stormont justice minister Paul Goggins to review North-South arrangements concerning dangerous offenders.
“I appreciate the difficult decisions that have to be made to reintegrate and rehabilitate people who commit these crimes, however it is of paramount importance that the balance always weighs in favour of public safety.
“Whilst all attempts should be made to allow those who perpetrate such crimes to re-enter into society, this cannot be at the expense of the public.”
She said lessons should be learned from any review and that its outcome should be made public.
Ms Hanna also highlighted the importance of cross-Border links in this situation. “We must look at cross-Border protocols and ensure that they are synchronised so as to deal with these sorts of crimes as thoroughly and efficiently as possible.”
There was insufficient liaison between North and South, she said.
“We need to exchange quickly our knowledge of these cases between North and South and we need protocols in place so that if someone goes missing, the probation services in the other jurisdiction can take it from there,” she said.
Ms Hanna also called for an open debate on the monitoring and tagging of offenders.