One of Ireland’s most evil killers Mickey Murphy is set to spend another five years behind bars.
Prison insiders say the Probation Services and the Governor of Arbour Hill Prison are reluctant to free the double killer because he is a danger to society.
The beast was due for release after serving 19 years of a life sentence for killing German journalist Bettina Poeschel, 28, while she was on holiday in Ireland in September 2001.
But he had previously strangled to death a 65-year-old woman Kitty Carroll in 1983 on her way home from bingo, and only did eight years behind bars for her manslaughter.
Both crimes were committed in his hometown of Drogheda.
Local people, however, had been extremely worried in recent months that Murphy was about to be freed again. Gardai were also concerned he might kill for a third time and were aware of the local objections.
But last night, senior prison sources said: “The early release of Michael Murphy is not on the agenda. He has been refused probation for good behaviour a number
of times and it won’t be happening.
“He is 58 years of age and is still a danger, he will do at least another five years before he will be considered for temporary release.
“Murphy has already killed two people and no governor in their right mind would sign him out early.”
The killer was let out of jail on a special day release twice in the last couple of years. On each occasion, he was accompanied under escort by three prison officers to a local church, where he was allowed to meet relatives.
The murder of Ms Poeschel was a high profile case that shocked not only her native German but the whole
of Ireland.
She was missing for a few weeks before her body was found in a ditch near Donore village, outside Drogheda.
Murphy admitted the crime and asked detectives to apologise to her parents for him.
