Pearse McAuley

Pearse McAuley
Born(1964-11-09)9 November 1964
Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland[1]
Died18 March 2024(2024-03-18) (aged 59)
Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
ParamilitaryProvisional IRA
Conflicts
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2003; sep. 2014)​
Children2

Pearse McAuley (9 November 1964[2] – c. 18 March 2024)[3] was a Provisional IRA member, who escaped from Brixton Prison in London on 7 July 1991 along with his cellmate Nessan Quinlivan, while awaiting trial on charges relating to a suspected plot to assassinate former brewery company chairman, Sir Charles Tidbury.[4]

McAuley fled to Ireland, where he was granted bail while contesting extradition to Britain.

Manslaughter conviction

In 1999, McAuley was convicted of manslaughter in Dublin's Special Criminal Court for his role in the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in the course of an armed robbery. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.[5]

McAuley was released from prison in August 2009, having served ten-and-a-half years of his sentence.[6] The Crown Prosecution Service announced it would not seek his extradition on charges related to the Brixton escape.[7][8][9] His release prompted adverse commentary in the Irish press, with McAuley being described as a "psychopathic gun nut".[10]

Marriage and separation

In 2003, he married Pauline Tully, a Sinn Féin councillor on Cavan County Council and was granted day release from prison to attend the wedding.[11] The couple had two sons, and separated in February 2014.[12]

Conviction for stabbing wife

On Christmas Eve 2014, McAuley was arrested for stabbing Tully thirteen times in front of their two children at their home in Kilnaleck, County Cavan.[13][14] He was found guilty on 28 November 2015, and on 2 December 2015 was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, the final four suspended.[15][16]

In her victim impact statement, Tully said "I am in absolute fear of him and fear that someday he will make another attempt on my life. I do not ever expect to enjoy a peaceful mind, but will live a life haunted by what happened to me."[17]

McAuley was released from prison on 24 June 2022.[17]

McAuley was found dead at his home in Strabane on 18 March 2024. He was 59. It is suspected that he died of natural causes a number of days before his body was found.[3] He was buried in Strabane Cemetery on 21 March 2024.[18]

References

  1. ^ Brady, Tom (1 March 2001). "New row on parole for garda killer McAuley". Irish Independent. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  2. ^ Hargan, Garrett (21 March 2024). "Funeral of Garda killer Pearse McCauley takes place in Tyrone". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b Campbell, Niamh (19 March 2024). "IRA killer Pearse McAuley to be buried in Strabane on Thursday". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  4. ^ "2 Irishmen Shoot Their Way Out of a Prison in London". The New York Times. Reuters. 8 July 1991. p. 2. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  5. ^ "IRA killers jailed". BBC News. 5 February 1999. Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
  6. ^ "McCabe killers released from jail". The Irish Times. 5 August 2009. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  7. ^ Murray, Alan (6 August 2009). "Were overtures made to deter the extradition of two IRA men Pearse McAuley and Nessan Quinlivan?". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  8. ^ "Jail escapers won't be extradited". BBC News. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  9. ^ Vaughan, Henry (10 September 2023). "The notorious prison breakouts of IRA men, a Soviet spy and one of the Great Train Robbers". Sky News. Retrieved 19 January 2026. The Crown Prosecution Service said in 2009 the men would not be prosecuted because there was "no realistic prospect" of conviction.
  10. ^ Corcoran, Jody (21 February 2010). "Sinn Fein supplied the bullets for political hit". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  11. ^ McLaughlin, Brian (10 January 2003). "O'Dea criticises wedding release of McCauley". The Irish Times. p. 2. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Estranged wife describes attack by Pearse McAuley". RTÉ News. 5 December 2015. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  13. ^ Williams, Paul; Doyle, Kevin; Byrne, Brian (25 December 2014). "Detective Garda Jerry McCabe killer held after wife is stabbed". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  14. ^ Ainsworth, Paul (18 March 2024). "Garda killer Pearse McAuley found dead at Strabane home". The Irish News. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Garda killer Pearse McAuley told his children to say goodbye before stabbing mother". Irish Independent. 28 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015 – via Belfast Telegraph.
  16. ^ Shannon, Martin (27 November 2015). "Pearse McAuley stabbed wife 13 times, court hears". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  17. ^ a b Dillon, Eamon (24 June 2022). "Killer Pearse McAuley freed from jail after serving time for horror attack on TD ex-wife". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  18. ^ McGreevy, Ronan (21 March 2024). "Funeral for garda killer Pearse McAuley takes place in Strabane". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
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