Grieving family of murder victim Ann Walsh reveal…

Grieving family of murder victim Ann Walsh reveal constant torment of keeping her killer behind bars

The grieving family of murder victim Ann Walsh has revealed the constant torment they are being put through having to battle to keep her killer behind bars 17 years on from her death.

And her brother Stephen has told how he, his parents and siblings were left "enraged" in recent weeks when they were only notified a day after deranged killer Raymond Donovan was given day release.

Ann was 23 when she was strangled by her ex Donovan in the grounds of the local church in Kilrush, Co Clare on August 24, 2005.

Brute Donovan - who subjected his former partner to a litany of abuse during their relationship - was sentenced to life the following year.

Heartbroken Stephen met in-person with the Parole Board in recent weeks on behalf of the family.

And he explained how this annual fight to keep Donovan in jail compounds his family's pain.

Stephen told the Irish Mirror that he had to explain to the parole board why Ann's family don't want her killer released from prison.

"They said basically he'd have a license over his head and if he did anything he'd be lifted straight away.

"I was saying to them, he'd have a license over his head but all that's over my sister's head is a gravestone. He's still breathing, he's still alive, and he will get to come out and continue with life.

"Our lives are destroyed. If anything, it's got harder.

"They're sitting down there asking why he should be kept in prison, it's common sense like.

"And we constantly have to battle for our sister while grieving her loss to this day.

"We're living with this every day since and until we go to our graves."

He added: "In reality, the only ones with a life sentence are us. He's never going to have a life sentence."

Donavan has been given numerous day releases from Castlerea Prison and brought to locations mostly in Limerick to meet family while with prison staff at all times.

The most recent one was in January on Sunday, December 11 but the Walsh family were only told the day afterwards instead of being notified beforehand.

Stephen fumed: "We were enraged by it.

"They are asking you why he shouldn't be allowed to get out and then you've to go through all of that to find out this has happened."

With Donovan being given day releases, the Walsh family fear that it is a sign that he is nearing release.

But Stephen pointed towards the fact that Donovan was moved back to Castlerea Prison from an open jail earlier this year over disciplinary issues.

He said: "He was in the open prison in Shelton Abbey and he was sent back to Castlerea. You don't get put back there for doing nothing.

"He was caught with a phone with threatening messages on it.

"No remorse ever shown and he will get to walk free one day."

Stephen also told how Christmas is a particularly difficult time for the family.

He said: "It is very hard. My mother and father, they brought her into the world, her life was cut short and robbed from her.

"He's 17 years in and he could be out. For us, we're still in the same state that we were back then today."

He added: "We still have the tracksuit she was wearing that night. We still even have her money and some of her hair we took when she died. But that's all we have now. Pictures and memories.