Taoiseach is urged to block a man who killed an Irish boxing champion’s request to be returned to England

The Taoiseach is being asked in the Dáil on Tuesday to block the transfer of a convicted murderer to England to allow the offender to continue serving his sentence in Limerick.

Evin Sheehy, a five-time Irish boxing champion, died after being hit by a UK-registered jeep on July 1, 2019 after leaving a house party in Limerick.

His body was discovered around 4:40 a.m. lying on the street. It later emerged that he had been run over once before the jeep backed up and ran over him again.

Logan Jackson, 31, of Birmingham, was sentenced to life in prison after it took a jury just two hours and 30 minutes to unanimously dismiss his defense of provocation last year.

He had told Gardaí he felt “intimidated and provoked” after “three big guys” allegedly threatened him and his cousin before a house party.

But the jury dismissed his account.

A lawyer said the accused attempted to lead gardaí “on a merry dance” by creating a “tapestry of self-serving lies”.

Mr Logan was convicted on December 13 and sentenced a week later.

But now, five months later, he has applied for his return to serve his sentence in a British prison.

Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea, former Justice Secretary, said: “He wants to go home so he can see his family regularly and enjoy their visits.

“But the only family visit his victim’s relatives have is when they go to the grave.”

The family have collected a petition of nearly 4,000 signatures to protest any grant of a transfer, a usual concession by international convention.

However, Mr O’Dea said the criminal’s human rights were nothing when contrasted with those of his victim.

“Not only did he run him over, he reversed it and did it again.

“This is one of the most heinous acts in all of criminal history,” he added.

“It is almost unprecedented in its arbitrariness, cruelty and violence.”
The veteran Dáil TD added: “We are talking about a career criminal with a long history of involvement in serious incidents.

“Firstly, he’s wearing a prosthetic limb because part of a lower leg was blown off in a gangland confrontation in Birmingham.”

Mr O’Dea said many of the applicant’s closest associates were in prison in Britain or had long criminal records.

It’s all set in Birmingham, it’s “peaky blinders stuff,” he added, referring to the 1920s crime drama set in England’s second city and starring famed Irish actor Cillian Murphy.

“There’s no way we should let that happen,” Mr. O’Dea said.

“This man’s pain and suffering would increase, while that of his victim’s family would increase, knowing he will have it easier.

“He wants to go to England to be with his loved ones but as I said the only way the Sheehy family can see their loved one is if they visit the cemetery.”

Mr O’Dea said both sending and receiving governments must reach agreement in cases of prisoner repatriation, which he said is usually a formality.

But he said that morale was high in Limerick because of the circumstances of this case and the very early request to go home, and he would urge the Taoiseach not to agree to the request.

“I will ask Micheál Martin tomorrow not to give his consent to this transfer because it is not right,” he said.