The convicted paedophile priest, Brendan Smyth, is to spend Christmas behind bars, according to his solicitor. The 68-year-old Norbertine priest was expecting to be released from prison next Monday after earning full remission for good conduct. But his solicitor Mr Denis Maloney, said yesterday Smyth has been told he has to serve another three months in Magilligan Prison, Co Derry. "He was very disappointed by the news," said Mr Maloney.
He said the confusion was caused by the overlap of prison, sentences following Smyth's two trials for abusing children in west Belfast during a 20-year period. He was jailed for four years in June 1994 and in September 1995 received a concurrent sentence of three years. Mr Maloney said that when Smyth is freed next March he will be taken directly to Dublin to be charged with 60 cases of child sex abuse in various parts of the Republic.