Convicted double murderer Frank McCann has dropped his latest parole bid, the Irish Independent reports.
McCann has withdrawn his latest application for freedom after spending nearly 30 years behind bars for killing his wife Esther, from Tramore, and foster daughter Jessica in 1992.
The move, which comes as a surprise to many, is as McCann was in the latter stages of his sixth parole bid,
This bid was being vigorously opposed by Esther’s family and members of McCann's own immediate family.
McCann's own brother has told the Irish Independent: “A life sentence should mean life.”
The former high-profile swimming coach had never withdrawn any previous parole applications – they were all turned down.
McCann (63) recently applied again to the Parole Board to have his imprisonment ended,which lead to further submissions to the board by Esther’s family and members of his own family to oppose the possibility that he would walk free.
No reasoning has been given as to why McCann withdrew the application.
McCann burned down his home on Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin, while Esther and Jessica slept inside after details emerged that he had father a child with a teenage swimming student he had coached. The girl in question had special needs.
McCann and Tramore native Esther had been going through the process of adopting 18-month-old Jessica, the daughter of McCann’s own adopted sister, when the mother of the vulnerable teenager, who had a child by McCann, alerted the adoption authorities out of concern that he was not fit to be a father.
McCann knew the fact he was the father of this child was going to be brought up at a meeting with the adoption authorities and set about trying to kill Esther and Jessica so Esther would never know of his past.
He had made other attempts on the lives of Esther and Jessica in the weeks before he succeeded.
Esther’s sister Marian said she was pleased McCann would not be gaining freedom any time soon.
“I don’t know what brought about this decision. It is amazing that this has happened, and I have no idea why. I am relieved that his freedom has been put off for another while,” she told the Independent.
“He will now have to go back to the beginning of the process if he decides to apply for parole again, which could take months or years, and we have been told that we would not have to make new submissions if he applies again.”
