Macarthur: outsider who never did a day's work

The Irish Independent ^ | August 30th 2002 | Clodagh Sheehy

[Aggie Mama]

Wow, when I read the title, I thought it was going to be about the General. I was already to start sending some flames your way. =)

[aculeus]

1. A movie-worthy tale. (The killer is about to be released.)

2. Is "GUBU" a keeper?

[dighton]

To test himself as a criminal he walked in and out of hotel lobbies carrying a brick.

[LiteKeeper]

And the point of posting this on the News and Activism forum was...?

[aculeus]

And the point of posting this on the News and Activism forum was...?

This case leads the news in today's Irish Independent, the biggest circulation broadsheet (that's what adults' newspapers are called) in that country.

Where, exactly, do you think the Irish Independent should have reported it?

Do you think this site is limited to items from American papers? (Hint: we do have Irish people on this forum.)

What, exactly, is your problem?

[LiteKeeper]

No problems - the points you make were not clear. I apologize if I have offended. It was written in a rather mater-of-fact style, and I missed the urgency. Again, forgive me, I meant no offense.

[ErnBatavia]

Being a Thread Cop is a thankless job, isn't it? :)

[LiteKeeper]

:-)

[Orual]

He carried a blue holdall containing a heavy lump hammer

Is "GUBU" a keeper?

Boxed and gift-wrapped. Oh, yes.

[aculeus]

Again, forgive me, I meant no offense.

All is forgiven. Now go back to work.

[Happygal]

Thanks for this.

I haven't seen any of the papers here today.
Is McArthur dead, or about to be released?

It's a bizare tale alright.
A real GUBU.

[rockfish59]

Carrying a brick!

What a test!
I doubt if Gotti's crew would have let him in the club!

[aculeus]

Happygal, here's the Indie's lead story.

Outrage as nurse's killer to walk free

Malcolm Macarthur in his 'uniform' of cream corduroy jacket, grey trousers, white shirt with bow tie and silk breast pocket handkerchief arriving at the Central Criminal Court in 1983.


Friday August 30th 2002

INFAMOUS killer Malcolm Macarthur could walk free within two years, it emerged last night.


The decision to free Macarthur, sentenced to life for the murder of nurse Bridie Gargan 20 years ago, is certain to spark a storm of protest.


The Parole Board has recommended that the murderer be transferred to an open prison where inmates are usually released after two years.


Macarthur sparked a political crisis when he was arrested for murder in the apartment of the then Attorney General Patrick Connolly in 1982.


He was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing 27-year-old Ms Gargan with a lump hammer as she sunbathed in Dublin's Phoenix Park.


A second charge of murdering Offaly farmer Donal Dunne was eventually dropped when a nolle prosequi was entered.


The killer has spent the last 20 years in jail and now the Parole Board has recommended he be transferred to Shelton Abbey open prison near Arklow in Co Wicklow.


The recommendation was revealed in last night's RTE Prime Time programme, which also highlighted the dilemma facing the current Justice Minister Michael McDowell.


The final decision on any Parole Board recommendation is normally made by the Minister for Justice but in this case Mr McDowell was a junior counsel in Macarthur's defence team at the original trial.


A Department of Justice spokesman said the minister would not be dealing personally with the case and would be passing the decision on to a government colleague.


"He has directed that the necessary arrangements be made to have the relevant papers in relation to Mr Macarthur referred to and dealt with by another member of the Government," the spokesman said.


Mr Dunne's family have expressed outrage that the murderer should be released or moved to an open prison.


They have described Macarthur as a "threat to society and indeed our family and we will be expressing these concerns to the minister".


At the time of Macarthur's arrest in Mr Connolly's Dalkey apartment, detectives found a chilling handwritten note outlining his plans to murder his own mother and inherit £60,000, the remains of the family estate.


During the ensuing political storm, which led to Mr Connolly's resignation, Conor Cruise O'Brien coined the acronym GUBU - 'grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre, unprecedented' - to describe the case and its implications.


Macarthur was convicted of Ms Gargan's murder in one of the shortest ever cases in the legal history of the State.


He pleaded guilty and the case lasted only five minutes - even though more than 260 witnesses were expected to be called.


Since his conviction, Macarthur has spent more time behind bars than any other prisoner in the State with the exception of two men - John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans, who were sentenced in 1978 for the murder of Mary Duffy and Elizabeth Plunkett.


In recent years he has been held at the training unit at Mountjoy where he has access to a wide range of training courses and is computer literate.


He moved to Mountjoy after 17 years in Arbour Hill prison where textbooks on economics were his favourite reading material.



Clodagh Sheehy


© http://www.unison.ie/

[Happygal]

Thanks Aculeus.
MacArthur's release is sure to spark some debate over here if it happens.

Reading back over the initial story, it's kind of ironic that 20 years ago he became a 'toff' after inheriting £70,000. He'll notice a bit of a difference in Dublin now if he's released. Seventy grand wouldn't buy ye a pot to pee in, in Tallaght, these days.

[aculeus]

His story reminds me of The Talented Mr Ripley. (Movie and book both recommended.)

[RightWhale]

he has access to a wide range of training courses and is computer literate

Is he on the Internet? Is he on FR? What is that, a brick in his hand? Oh, a practice brick, nevermind.

[general_re]

Is McArthur dead, or about to be released?

After reading about what a wonderful fellow he is, it was rather disappointing to reach the end of the article and discover that it wasn't an obituary...

[aculeus]

The good news about Irish justice:

He pleaded guilty and the case lasted only five minutes ...

and the bad news

Since his conviction, Macarthur has spent more time behind bars than any other prisoner in the State with the exception of two men ...

No one gets "life without parole"?!

[Happygal]

I was only a kid when McArthur was found in the Attorney Generals house and all.

I was out with friends tonight and we discussed this.

I never knew that McArthur was only tried for murder on the nurses death, not the farmer.
'Coz, I was thinkin' he should have gotten two consecutive life sentences.