THE triple killer, Alan Reeve, built a new life and a new identity for himself in Cork, where he has lived for the past two years. He was due to be married in May and had a baby with his fiancee two months ago.
Gardai in Cork say they were aware Reeve was living in the city, but had no reason to arrest him until they got the request for his extradition from Thames Valley Police in Britain.
In 1995 he came to Cork, where he had a brother, David, who, until recently, lived with his, wife in Ballincollig.
Reeve (49) had a number of addresses in Cork, but for more than a year he lived with Ms Anne Murphy at St Mary's Place, Cathedral Street, Gurranabraher, on the north side of the city.
Ms Murphy had lived in the two storey, end of terrace house for most of her life with her mother, who died a number of years ago. She now lives there with her two sons, Owen (7) and David (12), and her two month old baby, Alan.
Neighbours in the old residential area were shocked yesterday to learn their neighbour's fiance had escaped from Broadmoor in England. They knew Reeve only as "Henry" and apart from the fact that he was English they knew he had Dutch connections. Some believed he was a book editor, while others thought he translated manuscripts for a third level institution.
One neighbour, who refused to give her name, said: "He seemed to be very nice and was very good with Anne's kids. They all got on well together. Everyone was very happy for them. Nobody knew much about him but he seemed to be fine."
When the couple became engaged six months ago they celebrated with friends in the Roundy House pub on Castle Street in the city centre. The publican, Mr Dave Whitty, said he spoke to, Reeve on a number of occasions. "He was not a drinking man, two or three seemed to be as much as he would take and he liked to talk. He seemed to be very well read and educated," he said.
Friends thought he had worked in newspapers in Britain, had spent time in Holland and worked with a voluntary agency in Africa for a time before coming to Ireland. "We got the impression he had been married before but that was over and he was hoping to make a fresh start," Mr Whitty said.
Some months ago he applied for and got work with the Women's Poetry Circle, McCurtain Street, Cork, on a FAS scheme. He was working as a typesetter with the group, which publishes books by women authors. Its director, Ms Maire Bradshaw, yesterday refused to comment about Reeve or give any information about his employment.
He was working there as usual on April 3rd when a number of gardai arrived and Det Sgt Michael Commins arrested Reeve on foot of the extradition warrant.
A Garda spokesman said yesterday they had no reason to arrest him until they received the warrant from Thames Valley police.
"He had done nothing wrong while he was here," he added.