A CONVICTED double murderer who had been living in Co Wicklow has consented to his extradition to the UK after being sought there for breaching his conditions of release from jail.
The High Court in Dublin heard yesterday that Ian Kentzer, now Ioan Thomas, had in 1991 pleaded guilty to the murder of two family members.
Kentzer told the court he had legally changed his name to Ioan Thomas following his release on licence from prison and had moved from his native Yorkshire to south Wales.
He admitted in evidence that he had breached the conditions of his release by failing to report to his probation and by moving to Ireland several years ago.
Thomas (45) said he had spent almost 16 years in prison after pleading guilty in 1991 to having murdered his grandmother and a great-aunt by setting fire to their Sheffield home and burning them to death when they discovered he was stealing from their bank accounts.
Det Sgt Seán Fallon told Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan he arrested Thomas on July 19th on foot of an extradition warrant at his home in Clara Beg, Trooperstown, Roundwood, Co Wicklow. He said Thomas had served a minimum life sentence following his conviction for the murders. He had also been convicted in the mid-1980s of a sexual offence against a minor.
Det Sgt Fallon said Thomas had been released from prison in 2005 on two conditions, that he not leave the UK and that he keep in touch with his probation supervising officer and the Child Protection Service.
He said Thomas had come to the attention of the Garda as a result of a road traffic matter. Suspicions had been raised and inquiries made and the UK authorities had issued a European arrest warrant for him.
Thomas told his barrister, Jim Colgan, that in December 1991 he had pleaded guilty to a number of charges, including two counts of murder, and had been sentenced to life imprisonment with a specified minimum term of 15 years.
On December 29th, 2005, he was released under licence. In his home town in Yorkshire, he had been harassed by two siblings who wanted him to remain in prison. He was recalled to prison on January 5th, 2007, for six months, until investigations revealed there had been no grounds for the allegations against him.
He said that with the consent of the authorities he moved to Wales in February 2008 and changed his name by deed poll from Ian David Kentzer to Ioan Thomas. He had obtained a passport under his new name by consent of his probation officer. Relations with his probation officer deteriorated and he moved to Ireland in June 2008 and had since lived at his address.
Thomas told Kathleen Leader, for the State, that he had started a business, Mould Busters, in Roundwood, Co Wicklow, which employed three people.
Mr Justice Sheehan said Thomas had admitted breaching his prison release licence and he would refuse him bail. Thomas told the court he would consent to his extradition.