James Meehan had been convicted of the murder of Derry man Jim McFadden in 2009
A convicted murderer who had been on the run from prison in Northern Ireland has been captured by police in the Republic of Ireland.
James Meehan, 55, who was convicted of the murder of Derry man Jim McFadden in 2009, had been unlawfully at large after failing to return to HMP Magilligan on Monday, December 9, from day release.
It was not the first time he had gone missing from prison. In October 2022, Meehan had been freed and allowed to live at an address in Limavady, however was later found not to been at the address and was charged with being unlawfully at large. He then spent 14 months on the run before being returned to jail after being extradited from the Republic of Ireland.
In an appeal launched by the PSNI in December 2024, police had urged the public not to approach him directly. They also appealed “directly to James to hand himself in”.
In a statement issued after he failed to return to Magilligan prison in Co Derry, a PSNI spokesperson had said: “Meehan, who has been serving a life sentence in prison following a murder conviction in 2009, was on day release from HMP Magilligan on Monday, 9th December however has failed to return.”
Following the arrest, a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said: “Gardaí from the Garda Extradition Unit arrested a man (50s) on foot of two extradition warrants under the Trade and Co-operation Agreement on 27th of August 2025.
“He was brought before the High Court and remanded in custody to appear again on 10th of September 2025.”
The spokesperson added: “As this matter is now before the Courts, An Garda Síochána cannot comment further at this time.”
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