Residency omitted from Londonderry mental order

Controversially, two Special Treatment Orders (STO) governing the paedophile McDermott brothers failed to specify residency resulting in their eventual voluntary admission to Gransha following a campaign for their removal from Donagh in County Fermanagh.

Now in a letter to the Stormont Justice Committee, Justice Minister David Ford reveals an STO issued in Londonderry last year governing a mentally disordered person also omitted a residency requirement.

Justice Committee member Conall McDevitt MLA said 37 per cent of STOs (three from eight valid in Northern Ireland) were "erroneous."

The most high profile case involved the placing of the McDermott brothers back into the Donagh community.

Mr McDevitt said the information came to light through a letter from the Justice Minister to the Justice Committee on Thursday.

Speaking after the committee meeting, Mr McDevitt said: "We already know that two STOs administered to the McDermott brothers omitted a residency requirement.

"The committee was also told of another STO issued in 2009 in Derry which also omitted a residency requirement.

"We were also told that there are currently eight STOs valid in Northern Ireland. That means that 37.5 per cent of all STOs were erroneous.

"It's an unbelievable statistic and raises serious questions about the integrity of the court and Public Prosecution Service (PPS) administration processes.

"At yesterday's committee we also heard how 12 out of 31 recommendations made in 2006 by the Criminal Justice Inspectorate to reduce delays in the criminal justice system have been implemented.

"Many of the excuses proffered by the PSNI, the Department of Justice, the Courts Service and the PPS relate to administrative and management changes.

"The Justice Minister will have my support and that of the SDLP if he takes control of these issues. He must do so now. Our criminal justice system was asleep under the shadow of the Northern Ireland Office and part-time British ministers for too long. Things are different today."