Justice Minister Naomi Long has appointed a former senior UK prison service official to lead an independent review into how a convicted murderer was granted temporary release to attend his father’s funeral, only to abscond and remain on the run for nine days. The announcement, made via Written Ministerial Statement to the Assembly on 1 October 2026, comes after Gary Anderson was arrested in the Republic of Ireland following an international manhunt.
The review will examine the decisions and circumstances surrounding Anderson’s compassionate temporary release (CTR) from Maghaberry Prison on 14 September 2026, which has attracted significant political attention and raised serious questions about risk assessment procedures, communication between legal representatives and prison officials, and the safeguarding of victims’ interests. The full terms of reference and ministerial statement are available from the Department of Justice.
Who will lead the review
Phil Copple, formerly Director General of Operations in HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), has been appointed to lead the independent review. Copple brings nearly three decades of experience in offender management, having joined the Prison Service in 1990 as a prison officer before rising through the ranks to become interim Director General of HMPPS in 2025. His previous roles include Governor of HMP Frankland and various senior positions within the National Offender Management Service.
Supporting the review will be Geri Hanna, Commissioner Designate for Victims and Witnesses of Crime, who has confirmed her availability to provide advice to ensure victims’ perspectives are properly considered. Hanna, who took up her role in June 2022 and had her term extended until 2027, previously served as Chief Executive of Victim Support NI and as President of Victim Support Europe.
The Reviewer will also have direct access to Senior Crown Counsel for support in considering relevant legal issues.
What the review will examine
The terms of reference, published alongside the ministerial statement, set out a comprehensive scope for the investigation. The review will:
- Examine the decisions and circumstances which led to Anderson’s release
- Provide an independent and objective assessment of the handling and outworkings of his CTR application
- Establish the facts and understand what happened and when
- Identify any lessons arising from the handling of the case
- Make recommendations for improvement
The minister emphasised that “where lessons can be learned, they must be learned, and where improvements are required, they must be made,” noting this was “critical for the handling of future applications for CTR.”
The background: how a murderer came to be released
Gary Anderson, 29, was serving a life sentence with a 15-year minimum term for the 2018 murder of Karol Kelly in Londonderry. He and his brother Sean were convicted in 2023 of chasing down and stabbing the father-of-five in the Grafton Street area of the city.
When their father died on 11 September 2026, both brothers applied for compassionate temporary release to attend his funeral on 14 September. The Northern Ireland Prison Service refused both applications following risk assessments, concluding the brothers posed too great a danger.
However, the brothers challenged the decisions through judicial review. At an emergency hearing on 13 September, Mr Justice Rooney upheld the refusal for Sean Anderson but granted Gary Anderson temporary release with strict conditions attached.
The court found that the prison service’s decision was based on “inaccurate information which was material to the key issue of the potential risks posed by the applicant.” An internal assessment of Anderson’s likelihood of reoffending had been wrongly recorded at 32 (high likelihood) when the correct score was 27 (medium likelihood). The judge described the prison service’s refusal to reconsider its decision when invited to do so as “somewhat surprising.”
Anderson was released for two hours with conditions including:
- Collection by a named person by car, who would remain with him throughout
- Attendance only at the funeral at St Mary’s Church, remaining within the church confines
- No alcohol, non-prescribed medication, or electronic equipment
- Return to prison directly from Derry courthouse by 11:30am
He absconded from his court-appointed chaperone—identified in court documents as his uncle—at approximately 11:20am on 14 September.
Political fallout and minister’s response
The case has generated significant political controversy. Justice Minister Naomi Long faced accusations from DUP MLAs that she had misled the Assembly in her initial statements about whether the prison service had been given an opportunity to reconsider its decision. Long strongly rejected these claims, stating she had been “fully transparent” and acted with “full candour” based on information available at the time.
It subsequently emerged that while the judge had indeed offered the prison service a chance to reconsider, this was not communicated to decision-makers due to what the Department of Justice described as a procedural failing by the Departmental Solicitor’s Office.
Long has since met with Karol Kelly’s family. Speaking in the Assembly, she described the trauma caused to his youngest children—who had to be told the circumstances of their father’s death for the first time—as “an appalling thing for any parent to have to do for their child.” She has committed to notifying the family before announcing the review’s terms to the Assembly and meeting them again before any recommendations are reported.
What remains unclear
The ministerial statement does not specify a timeline for the review’s completion, beyond indicating it should progress “as expeditiously as possible.” This leaves unanswered when the public can expect findings and recommendations.
The terms of reference focus on the handling of Anderson’s case specifically, rather than examining broader systemic issues with the CTR scheme itself. The scheme, which operates under Rule 27 of the Prison and Young Offenders Centre Rules (Northern Ireland) 1995, is designed to balance prisoners’ Article 8 human rights with public protection considerations.
Questions also remain about:
- Whether the review will examine the appropriateness of using civilian chaperones rather than prison escorts for high-risk prisoners
- How communication breakdowns between legal representatives and prison officials can be prevented in future
- Whether the risk assessment tools and training for prison governors require strengthening
- The adequacy of current arrangements for notifying victims and their families about temporary release decisions
Broader context
The Anderson case comes at a time of heightened public attention to prison release policies across the UK. The Sentencing Act 2026, which came into force on 1 October 2026, has introduced significant changes to early release arrangements in England and Wales, though these do not apply to Northern Ireland’s separate prison system.
The case also highlights ongoing challenges in cross-border policing cooperation, with Anderson’s arrest in County Donegal following what the minister described as “swift and effective work” by the PSNI and An Garda Síochána.
Key issues the review will need to address
Several matters have been raised by political representatives and justice stakeholders as requiring particular attention:
- Whether the independent review’s scope should be expanded to examine the CTR scheme more broadly, rather than focusing solely on this individual case
- How the justice system can better balance prisoners’ human rights with victim protection and public safety
- What accountability should exist when procedural failures lead to dangerous prisoners being unlawfully at large
- Whether victims’ families should have a formal right to be consulted before temporary release decisions are made, rather than simply notified afterwards
- Whether the current risk assessment framework is adequate for evaluating the dangers posed by prisoners convicted of serious violent offences
The minister has committed to updating the Assembly on the review’s outcome and recommendations. The Kelly family, who have maintained a dignified public presence throughout the ordeal, will be watching closely to see whether this process delivers the accountability and systemic improvements that might prevent similar failures in future.