Veronica Guerin’s killer Brian Meehan has taken a major step towards freedom – after he was moved to an open prison yesterday.
The 55-year-old, who helped gun down the journalist 25 years ago, was transferred to Shelton Abbey in Co Wicklow.
Sources confirmed that the thug, who has been waiting several months for the move, was taken out of Dublin’s Wheatfield Prison at around 11am and driven to the open facility in Arklow.
It was revealed last May that prison bosses were preparing to move Meehan to an open facility after a parole board deemed him eligible for it.
However, it took several months for the decision to be signed off by prison bosses – but it was ultimately determined that Meehan was entitled to the move despite the objections of Veronica’s family.
A source said: “The reality is that Meehan has been in prison for 22 years and has undertaken courses in that time and now the parole board has recommended this move.
“It would have been very difficult for that recommendation to have been ignored when he had completed the steps necessary to get to this stage.
“This is an opportunity now for Meehan to progress his sentence and ultimately, eventually to allow him back into society.”
Meehan’s move to Shelton Abbey means he will eventually be entitled to day releases and even weekend releases from the facility.
It is understood the killer is being given his own dorm, but he must first quarantine for a number of days before joining the rest of the prison population.
Sources say Meehan has also been availing of the services of a personal addiction counsellor – in further efforts to prove he can live on the outside.
Veronica’s heartbroken brother Jimmy told us earlier this year that he was writing directly to the Taoiseach and the Justice Minister to urge them to keep Meehan away from early release.
