Mr Woodward said: “I have considered the outcome of the recent case against Robert Duffy in the Republic of Ireland. It confirms that he has clearly breached the conditions of his release through his very violent conduct. Consequently and not withstanding that he is in prison currently in the Republic and is likely to be so for some time I have suspended his ‘early’ release licence with immediate effect.

I reiterate the pledges of my predecessors that the government will suspend the licence of any prisoner who was released under the early release scheme (the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998) introduced following the signing of the Good-Friday Agreement where, as in this case, they are believed to present a risk to the safety of others”


Notes to Editors

Robert Duffy was released early from prison in July 2000 following a successful application to the Sentence Review Commissioners for accelerated release under the provisions of the NI (Sentences) Act 1998. Life sentence prisoners in this category are released on licence on condition that they should not

• support a specified organisation
• become concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland, or
• become a danger to the public

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