An Englishman serving two life sentences for the murder of a couple in Co Roscommon has claimed the Minister for Justice has refused to transfer him to an English prison because he remains a suspect in the murders of two women at Grangegorman, Dublin.
Mark Nash (29), from Huddersfield but with an address at Clonliffe Road, Dublin, says the reason cited for the refusal of transfer is unreasonable.
Yesterday, he was granted leave by the High Court to challenge that refusal in judicial review proceedings.
Mr Justice Ó Caoimh was told the Minister had informed solicitors acting for Nash that the refusal was on the basis that Nash "was and remained a suspect" in the murders of Mary Callanan (61) and Sylvia Shields (59), patients at Grangegorman psychiatric hospital in Dublin, in March 1997.
Nash is detained under two life sentences at Arbour Hill Prison, Dublin, for the killing of Catherine Doyle (28) and her husband Carl (29) at their home at Ballintober, Castlerea, Co Roscommon, on August 16th, 1997.
The sentences followed a Central Criminal Court trial in October 1998.
Nash was also jailed for a concurrent eight years for causing grievous bodily harm with intent to his then girlfriend, Ms Sara Jane Doyle, in the house at Ballintober on the same date.
Ms Doyle, who was 19 at the time, dragged herself to a neighbour's house to raise the alarm.
Yesterday, Mr Gerard Hogan SC, for Nash, said his client claimed that the reason given by the Minister for refusing to transfer him was unreasonable and unsustainable at law.