Violent Co Tyrone garda killer Pearse McAuley has been released from Castlerea prison after serving seven years for stabbing his ex-wife, Sinn Fein TD Pauline Tully, 13 times.
McAuley was sentenced to 12 years with four suspended in 2015 for the attack at Ms Tully’s home on Christmas Eve in 2014. The former Provo from Strabane had been previously jailed for killing Det Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996.
Ms Tully who has two sons with McAuley has said she hopes he has moved on with his life and leaves her family alone.
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Speaking to the Irish Mirror she said: “I’m determined that I and my children will just get on with our lives as normal. I presume that he will leave us alone according to the terms of the barring order that’s in place and my life and the life of the boys won’t be affected in any way.
“I am determined that my life won’t change, and we’ll get on with our lives and that he will do the same. He has infringed on it enough.”
McAuley left jail shortly after 8am on Friday and was whisked away in a Northern registered white Ford Kuga. The driver, who picked McAuley up and was waiting for him since around 7am on Friday, also wore a hat and a neck warmer pulled up over his nose and under his eyes, covering his face.
McAuley came out wearing a face mask, black sunglasses and a baseball cap turned backwards. He had a holdall bag with him.
Ms Tully is a Sinn Fein TD for Cavan-Monaghan and the party’s spokeswoman on disability and carers. McAuley hit the headlines in 1991 following an infamous jail-break from Brixton prison in London.
McAuley was due to take his two young sons for lunch on Christmas Eve in 2014 but showed up at Ms Tully’s house early and attacked her, stabbing her 13 times.
Ms Tully managed to flee her house when the drunk McAuley fell asleep. But he woke up and tried to continue the attack while the TD was trying to escape in a car.
Neighbours came to her aid after they spotted her bloodied on the road.
Ms Tully previously spoke to the Irish Mirror about the attack. Listen to the full interview on The Glass Ceiling podcast on Spotify, Apple or on Google.
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