James Meehan, 56, received a 12-month sentence at Antrim Crown Court for being unlawfully at large after absconding on day release from HMP Magilligan on 9 December 2024.

Meehan serves a life sentence with a 14-year minimum term, imposed in 2009 for the murder of Jim McFadden in Londonderry's Shantallow area in 2007. Prison staff dropped him at a train station that morning for a trip to Belfast to meet family, with instructions to return by 18:30. He did not return.

CCTV placed Meehan in Belfast city centre. Telecom data showed he crossed into the Republic of Ireland around 15:00. Gardaí located him at an address. He acknowledged his status as unlawfully at large and stated no intent to return to Northern Ireland.

Extradition followed, with Meehan appearing in court in December 2025 after nearly a year at large. Judge Peter Irvine ordered six months in custody and six on licence. The judge noted the guilty plea warranted credit, though Meehan had little choice, and stated an 18-month term would apply without it.

This marked the second time extradition proceedings targeted Meehan for being unlawfully at large. He was on licence for a prior such offence at the time of absconding. The Police Service of Northern Ireland collaborated with An Garda Síochána on the investigation.

UUP justice spokesman Doug Beattie criticised the sentence length. He noted it totalled less than the time Meehan spent at large. Beattie argued against credit for the guilty plea given Meehan's admissions to Gardaí. The Lady Chief Justice's office stated judges follow legislative frameworks, considering factors like pleas and prior convictions.