Rachel Callaly's brother brands killer Joe O'Reilly's progress behind bars 'meaningless' without confession
EXCLUSIVE: Infamous killer O'Reilly is engaging with the probation services, but speaking today, his victim Rachel Callaly's brother Paul says it means nothing unless the murderer finally confesses.
A brother of murder victim Rachel Callaly says killer Joe O’Reilly’s ‘progress’ behind bars is “meaningless” - until he admits his crime.
This week the Irish Mirror revealed that a probation officer had complained to the Department of Justice when they were suddenly moved from their post after submitting a ‘positive’ report on O’Reilly to the Parole Board.
Speaking to us today, Rachel’s heartbroken brother Paul, who is set to mark the 20th anniversary of her death at the hands of O’Reilly next month, said the killer’s supposed progress behind bars still means nothing.
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“I don’t know how anything could be positive. He hasn’t admitted the crime. To me, unless he admits it, I think it’s fairly pointless trying to progress him in any shape or form. “This is a game to him. Is he just trying to interact now because he understands it’s a way to just progress his own situation?”
Sources have told this paper that O’Reilly has for the first time in 17 years of imprisonment opened up to the probation services - but has yet to admit responsibility for battering his wife Rachel to death at their home in Naul, Co Dublin in October 2004. The ruthless killer has, sources say, expressed an openness to work with the services as he’s being considered for parole for a third time.
But speaking today, Rachel’s brother Paul says O’Reilly simply cannot be allowed to progress in the prison system - unless he finally fesses up. “If you’re not going to admit you did something you’ve got a problem. You can’t let a killer back out on the streets who won’t accept what he did. I can’t understand how there would be positive talks if he hasn’t sort of come to the conclusion himself. He’s that sort of cold blooded killer. He didn't just kill Rachel, he planned it. So it wasn't spur of the moment. He planned that for a long time.”
Paul also told of how he, his siblings and their mother Rose will mark Rachel’s 20th anniversary on October 4 - this time without their beloved father Jim, who passed away earlier this year. “It’s the first one without the Pops but it's every year the same sort of. You'd be thinking what would she be up to now and things like that. Things would’ve been different and she’s missed out on an awful lot since,” Paul said.
Evil killer O’Reilly is currently working in the tuck shop of the Midlands Prison as he continues to serve his life sentence. The ruthless murderer, who has never admitted his crime, was jailed in 2007 for bludgeoning his wife Rachel to death at their home in Naul in October 2004.
Since his sentencing O'Reilly has attempted multiple appeals, and has repeatedly been able to apply for parole ever since he was seven years into his time in prison. The law has since changed - meaning life sentence prisoners can only now begin applying for parole after 12 years - and then every two years after that. On average life sentence prisoners serve 19 years behind bars in Ireland.
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