Murderer Dwyer starts process to seek parole

CONVICTED murderer Graham Dwyer is reported to have begun the process of seeking parole, seven years after he was put behind bars having been arrested for the murder of Elaine O’Hara.

The Bandon-born architect is entitled to apply for parole having served seven years into his life sentence for the brutal murder of the childcare worker. He was convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court in March 2015, but his sentence was backdated to October 2013 when he was first arrested. Dwyer has also successfully challenged a case about the retention and accessing of his mobile phone data, a case which the Supreme Court earlier this year opted to refer to the European Court of Justice.

Mick O’Toole of The Irish Daily Star reported that Dwyer (48) was able to start his early release process because legislation relating to more stringent parole rules remain unenforced, despite it becoming law last year. It raises the threshold for those serving life sentences to qualify for parole from seven to 12, but because it hasn’t commenced, Dwyer is entitled to apply under the old system.