Fiancee's testimony fails to win bail for triple killer

A 49-year-old man from Colchester, Essex, convicted of three killings failed in an attempt to secure bail in the Dublin High Court yesterday after the judge heard he had a history of absconding.

Allan Patrick Reeve is awaiting extradition back to Britain following his arrest at the weekend in Co Cork. He was sent to Broadmoor aged 16 in 1964 after killing a friend. There, at the age of 19, he killed another patient. He escaped and fled to the Netherlands in 1981, where he shot and killed a policeman during an armed robbery. He was arrested and served a 10-year jail term.

Released in 1992, he fled during a dispute over his extradition between the United Kingdom and Dutch authorities, and had been living in Ireland for two years. The court heard evidence from his Irish fiancee, Ann Murphy, who said she was aware of his background but that he was of good character.