Meehan gets a latte days out from jail
Journalist killer’s regular coffee trips
THE only man convicted of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin now gets regular days out of jail for coffee.
Sources have revealed gangster Brian “Tosser” Meehan, who is serving life for the 1996 killing of the crime reporter, is frequently getting half-day trips to enjoy the likes of Starbucks and Costa.
Sources say in the past number of weeks Meehan, who had his most recent bid for parole refused before Christmas, has been allowed to leave Shelton Abbey open prison to spend a few hours of freedom in Arklow, Co Wicklow.
One added: “This is all part of the process of testing the water and seeing how he gets on on the outside.
“The fact is Meehan is very well behaved in prison and he can’t be kept in there forever.
“This is a stepping stone towards him being released.”
The infamous killer, who was part of the John Gilliganled mob that carried out the murder of Ms Guerin at Dublin’s Naas Road on June 26, 1996, has now been in Shelton Abbey open prison since 2021.
We previously exclusively snapped the killer enjoying a round of pitch and putt on the grounds of the prison in September of that year.
The game is just one of many freedoms he enjoys at the facility where prisoners who are deemed to be of low risk are able to finish their sentences.
Although the prison is deemed open, inmates must stay within the grounds and are not allowed to leave unless they have been granted time away.
In the case of Meehan, who is serving a life sentence, even if he is ever allowed back out into the general public, he can be brought back to prison at any point if he breaches the conditions of his release.
On average, prisoners sentenced to life in Ireland serve 19 years inside.
Speaking previously, Veronica’s brother Jimmy said he has had to reluctantly come to terms with the fact that the killer now has more freedoms than before.
He said: “Look I’m aware of what the conditions are within an open prison and that and yeah, of course I was disappointed that he ended up there, but that’s where he is.
“Unfortunately, and hard as it is, we’ve got to accept that. “You know there’s nothing in me protesting or making complaints or whatever that’s going to change that.”