Police make urgent appeal as on-the-run killer Gary Anderson remains at large

Police have made a fresh appeal after convicted murderer Gary Anderson failed to return to prison on Monday.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is liaising with Garda in an attempt to capture the on-the-run killer.

Anderson absconded earlier this week after being granted temporary release from Maghaberry Prison to attend his father’s funeral at St Mary’s Church in the Creggan area of Derry.

This was followed by a cremation in Letterkenny, County Donegal, in the afternoon, but Anderson has not been seen since.

The public have been warned not to approach him.

Extensive enquiries are ongoing, with officers out on patrol and searching through CCTV.

Detective Inspector Gareth Lavery said: ‘We are grateful for information received following our public appeal on Monday, and we want to assure you, we are investigating every report made to us, and we are doing all we can to locate Gary Anderson.

‘However, as of this time, Gary Anderson has not been located.

‘We are issuing a more recent photo of Gary Anderson – who is approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall, of slim build and with brown hair – and make a direct appeal directly to Gary to hand himself in.’

He added: ‘We reiterate our appeal to anyone who knows where Gary is, or indeed has any information about his movements or whereabouts, not to approach him directly but to contact police as soon as possible.

‘We’re also keen to hear from anyone who may have been in the Eastway area on Monday around the time Gary Anderson is reported to have been last seen, and who may have relevant footage.’

Anderson, 29, and his brother, Sean Anderson, were sentenced in 2023 for the murder of Karol Kelly in Londonderry.

Father-of-five Kelly died on Grafton Street after an altercation in the early hours of March 4, 2018, in which he was stabbed several times.

Initially, Anderson, who is serving 15 years, was not granted leave to attend the funeral, but this decision was overturned, despite opposition from prison authorities. His brother, who is serving 17 years, was not granted leave.

Meanwhile, Kelly’s family has spoken out, saying they are ‘distressed, annoyed, and frustrated at the current situation’.

Politician Mark H Durkan met with them and later told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today program: ‘They have questions that they need answered.

‘They know there’s clearly systemic issues here that need addressed, and we need to work alongside the minister to identify them and address them.

‘There are huge questions as to how this has happened, how it’s been allowed to happen and what’s going to be done to prevent a repeat of something like this in the future.’

Kelly’s brother, Paul, also shared on social media that ‘we will be trying our utmost to never allow this to happen to another family again’.

Anyone with useful information can call 101, quoting reference 555 of 14/09/26. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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