The first person convicted over the bloody Drimnagh-Crumlin drugs feud which claimed 16 lives is being regularly allowed out of prison .
Senior Dublin gangland figure Craig White, a close associate of crime boss Fat Freddie Thompson is now in Shelton Abbey open prison in County Wicklow and is being allowed home on temporary release two weekends a month in preparation for his permanent release .
It is understood he has so far served 14 years of a life sentence for murder. But the Parole Board has sanctioned his temporary weekend releases.
READ MORE: Irish teen accidentally becomes millionaire after bank transfers wrong amount
The 41 year old was jailed for life in 2009 over the brutal killing of Noel Roche,27 in Clontarf after he attended a Phil Collins concert in the Point Depot.
Roche was shot three times as he sat in his car and died at the scene. White was the getaway driver and the shooting was carried out by a known contract killer Paddy Doyle, who worked for Thompson.
Doyle fled the country for the Costa del Sol when he received death threats after the murder and was subsequently executed himself in Spain, 18 months later.
The trial heard White was a "senior gangland figure" and his DNA was found on a bag containing a balaclava and gun and on gloves found in the getaway car.
He became the first person jailed over the long running Drimnagh-Crumlin feud which resulted in a staggering 16 deaths.
He had been questioned while in prison over the 2010 murder of another gangland boss Eamon "the Don" Dunne after Dunne had boasted in the days before his assassination that he had a fling with a female relative of White.
However denied any involvement and was never prosecuted in relation to the killing.A prison source said; " Craig White served most of his sentence in Mountjoy and was moved to the open prison two years ago.
"He is regularly getting out for weekends and stays with family and friends. He has been a major gangland figure but has kept his nose clean in recent years and is keen to make a fresh start away from crime.
"There is no way he would be let out unless the Parole Board felt he was a changed man. He was beaten up once in Mountjoy by another prisoner several years ago and to be fair, it wasn't his fault. He will be out on permanent release soon.
"He has to behave and adhere to the strict release conditions or he will be sent back to jail to finish his sentence." The Irish Prison Service said it does not comment on individual prisoners.
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
