Kilkenny family’s fears over prisoner’s release

The family of murdered Kilkenny woman Christine Quinn has expressed serious concerns over the temporary day release of their mother’s killer.

In June, the family was told that convicted murderer Mark Costigan has been approved temporary release for two days a week to attend an educational course in Dublin. This is despite him having been refused parole in February 2023 as the Parole Board had concerns that he would ‘pose an undue risk to the community, were he to be released on parole at this stage’.

Costigan was convicted of the murder at her home in Kilkenny City in 2002. He has never admitted the murder or apologised to the victim’s family.

Christine Quinn (36) was stabbed 35 times by Mark Costigan and sustained 69 knife injuries. Costigan, who has never admitted the murder or apologised to the victim’s family also set three separate fires to the house at Greenfields in Kilkenny City to try and destroy the evidence. In 2004 he was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Christine Quinn.

In February 2023 the parole board refused parole stating that ‘the board has concerns that Mark Costigan would pose an undue risk to the community, were he to be released on parole at this stage’ and stated that Costigan would not be eligible for review for two years.

However in recent weeks Ronan and Jason Quinn were informed by the Victim Liaison Service in the Irish Prison Service that Costigan has been approved daily temporary release for a period of two days per week, which may increase, depending on his progress to attend an educational course accompanied by his probation officer. This move has been approved by the Minister for Justice.

In June the Irish Prison Service also told the Quinn family that the victim liaison officer gave them incorrect information in relation to the Parole Board decision and apologised for this error.

The family of murdered Christine Quinn are deeply concerned about the temporary release of Costigan and questioned whether it is to do with prison capacity.

“Is it a case that the prisons are full and they are taking a chance on him?” said Ronan.

“What I don’t understand is why these proposed releases are being granted for two days a week with the potential to increase the days under the supervision of a parole officer not prison officers, if the parole board deems Mark Costigan to pose an undue risk to members of the community,” he added.

“I would have great concerns regarding security to members of the public with this arrangement. This is a convicted murderer we are dealing with not some petty criminal,” he added.

Culpability

“The whole purpose of prison is rehabilitation but this prisoner has never admitted culpability for his actions that caused the murder of my mother and he is been afforded these concessions without been rehabilitated as he continues to deny he brutally murdered her in her own home.

Ronan Quinn also pointed out that while Mark Costigan has been in prison since 2004 he has only started engaging with the Prison Service since 2017.

“In my eyes he has only spent seven years engaging in rehabilitation and I think this is him playing the system to get parole,” said Ronan.

“We have campaigned tirelessly to change the outdated laws for serious crimes in Ireland which resulted in The Parole Act 2019 being implemented and we await to introduce mandatory minimum sentences at the judge’s discretion and up to whole life orders as is the case for decades in the UK.

“We need a major overhaul of the justice system in Ireland which will represent a proportionate rebalancing and strengthening of the penalties for gender-based violence, knife crimes, manslaughter and homicide.

“The victims families should not have to plead with the Parole Board every two years to keep killers in prison. This mental abuse of victims families having to relive all the horrors again and again has to end.”

Kept in the dark

Jason Quinn said he is ‘baffled, hurt and horrified by how the families of victims of crime are treated by the prison system.
“We are just kept in the dark,” he said.

“I want something to be done for the families of victims. Everything seems to be about the prisoner. We need proper, coherent communication from the Probation Service, the Parole Board and the Prison Service.

“Mark Costigan has shown no remorse for murdering my mother or admitted his guilt. He should be kept behind bars. I feel so let down by the system. There must be more support for the families of victims. If there was a tariff system with minimum life sentences before someone is eligible for parole would give families’ some peace of mind. Everything is geared towards the prisoner who has committed the ultimate sin and her we are suffering,” he said.

Jason Quinn added that he has no issue with the Costigan family, only the prisoner, Mark Costigan who murdered his mother.

Jason Quinn also said that he spends time in Dublin and has family there adding that these temporary releases add to his trauma knowing that there is a possibility that he could see him on the streets of Dublin.

“A probation officer has no power of arrest, what sort of a society do we live in whereby a murderer can walk around the streets of Dublin,” he added.

His brother, Ronan said that the decision to allow Costigan to have temporary release is ‘a major contradiction’.

“In relation to the day releases I find the Parole Board’s decision to allow temporary day releases to be a major contradiction. On the one hand they are saying that he is an undue risk to society but at the same time they allow him to walk around Dublin and put society in danger,” he said.

Incorrect information

In correspondence received from the victim liaison officer last month an apology was made for the ‘incorrect information’ received in relation to the Parole Board decision.

“It is the case though parole was declined, the Parole Board did recommend the prisoner avail of daily temporary release from the prison for the purposes of re-integration and socialisation.

“ Taking this into account, it was decided to recommend to the Minister that he be approved for daily temporary release for educational reasons,” the liaison officer said adding that each period of temporary release will be dependent on his continued good engagement with prison-based services, his behaviour in prison and his behaviour while on temporary release and failure to comply fully risks the temporary release being withdrawn.