A paedophile from Co Donegal has been refused permission to serve the rest of his sentence in an Irish jail.
Brennan from Manorcunningham
James Jerome Brennan, originally from Manorcunningham, was one of the first sex offenders jailed in Britain for internet child grooming.
The 55 year old, who is a former lap-dance club owner, is serving a sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) and has no automatic right to be released.
As there is no equivalent sentence in Ireland, Brennan, described as “undoubtedly a danger to girls”, cannot serve the remainder of his term here.
IPP prisoners must serve a minimum tariff before being considered for release by the Parole Board, but many remain in prison for many more years.
The Irish Independent reports that Brennan claims because he is Irish and in a British jail, he should have the same rights as foreign nationals.
The British government abolished IPPs last year after three prisoners successfully challenged them in the European Court of Human Rights, but those already handed down will not be abolished retrospectively.