A CONVICTED murderer who fled to Ireland after he walked out of Sudbury Prison more than a decade ago wants to appeal against the decision to extradite him back to the UK.
In July, Irish High Court judge Mr Justice John Edwards said he had decided to surrender Anthony Craig, who was sentenced to life in 1974 for the brutal murder of an accountant, to the UK authorities.
However, the order to surrender Craig was not finalised and the 66-year-old has remained on bail to allow lawyers to consider making an application for leave to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
Cathleen Noctor, for Ireland's Ministry of Justice and Equality, today told the High Court that written submissions from Craig's lawyers had been received, but her client wished to review the submissions.
Craig had lured accountant John Kirby to a park in Blackburn in 1973 after meeting him at a gay pub in the city. He robbed him of 2p before hitting him over the head with a brick three times.
Craig had served 28 years in prison when he walked out of Sudbury in 2002 and never returned.
He escaped to Ireland and lived in counties Cork and Leitrim. He currently has an address in Rathcoole in south Dublin.
He was arrested on February 14, 2013, on an extradition warrant after authorities in the United Kingdom had sought his surrender for escaping from lawful custody.
Mr Justice Edwards remanded Craig on continuing bail until October 7, when the case will he heard again.
