A convicted murderer who spent nine days on the run following an emergency judicial review has been captured by police in County Donegal. Gary Anderson, 29, was arrested shortly before 2 pm on Wednesday at a property in Buncrana, bringing a tense cross-border manhunt to a close.
A Cross-Border Capture After Days on the Run
Gary Anderson had been at large since Monday, September 14, after failing to return to Maghaberry Prison. He had originally been granted temporary compassionate release to attend his father’s funeral in County Derry, a decision that required an emergency judicial review after prison authorities initially rejected the application. According to reports, the governor of Maghaberry had blocked the leave request, but a judge overturned that ruling, allowing Anderson to attend the service under the watch of a civilian chaperone.
Anderson never went back behind bars. Following his disappearance, he was last spotted in the Eastway area of Derry before slipping across the border into the Republic of Ireland.
Detective Inspector Gareth Lavery of the PSNI praised the public and law enforcement partners for their vigilance. “I want to thank everyone who assisted with our enquiries since our public appeal last Monday,” Lavery said. He also expressed gratitude to AGS colleagues “who arrested Gary Anderson today and for all of their help with this investigation over the last week.”
The Original Crime and Ongoing Family Trauma
The fugitive is serving a life sentence alongside his brother, Sean Anderson, handed down by the courts in 2023. Both men were convicted over the brutal 2018 stabbing murder of Karol Kelly, a 35-year-old father of five in Derry. Gary Anderson was ordered to serve a minimum 15-year tariff, while his brother received a 17-year minimum term. Sean Anderson’s separate application for compassionate leave to attend the same funeral was previously refused.
Local representatives and political figures have voiced deep concern over how an inmate convicted of a violent homicide managed to abscond under temporary release. MP Colum Eastwood voiced relief at the arrest while acknowledging the immense strain placed upon the victim’s relatives.
“The arrest of Gary Anderson in Buncrana will be a welcome relief for the family of Karol Kelly who have been through a horrendous ordeal over the last week after he went on the run,” Eastwood stated.
Calls for Systemic Accountability and Independent Review
Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long welcomed the swift apprehension of the fugitive while addressing the glaring legal and administrative questions surrounding his temporary release. Long confirmed that an independent review will examine the exact circumstances that allowed Anderson to walk out of prison temporarily.
“My thoughts remain with the family of Karol Kelly,” Minister Long said. “They have endured a deeply distressing period, and I hope today’s development goes some way towards alleviating the anxiety and uncertainty they have experienced. I recognise that questions remain about the circumstances surrounding Mr Anderson’s compassionate temporary release and subsequent abscondment. Work is progressing to establish an independent review, and further details will be announced shortly.”
Furthermore, Minister Long arranged to meet directly with the Kelly family to listen to their concerns regarding the judicial review process that overrode prison governance. As the PSNI works alongside international authorities to execute the return of Anderson to custody, the broader debate on how compassionate leave is adjudicated for violent offenders remains firmly under the spotlight.
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