Murdered Pte Sean Rooney's killer not in jail despite being sentenced to death
Killer Mohammad Ayyad was freed from custody last year on medical grounds and has not been seen since. Ayyad didn't appear in court when he was sentenced to death last Monday.
Earlier this week, Sean's local TD in his hometown Dundalk, Ruairí Ó Murchú, who has championed his case on behalf of his heartbroken family fumed: "Where is the man sentenced to death for the killing of Sean Rooney? It is absolutely ridiculous that Ayyad is still at large. First and foremost we need to know where he is.
"He was released on bail following his first court appearance because of an apparent medical issue and has not appeared since and is still at large. While I welcome the fact he has been found guilty and sentenced, no one can be impressed with the fact that he was not actually in court." The remains of Private Sean Rooney arrived from Beirut Airport to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel in December 2022. (Image: Collins Dublin) Private Sean Rooney. (Image: Family Handout/PA Wire)
The Lebanese court has not executed a prisoner in over 20 years and both the Irish Government and Deputy Ó Murchú expect the death penalty to be reduced to a lengthy jail sentence.
However, a number of other men involved in the gun attack in south Lebanon on the UN peacekeepers patrol which left Private Rooney, 23, dead in December 2022, received light sentences from monetary fines to a number of months in prison for the indiscriminate attack.
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Deputy Ó Murchú said these punishments were "extraordinarily lenient by any terms." He stated: "My first thoughts are with the family of Sean Rooney whose grandparents live in Dundalk.
"I will be writing to both the Taoiseach, Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris about the case. We urge them to use all avenues open to the State to ensure that Ayyad is captured and serves the sentence he was handed down.
"The Rooney family needs to know all the circumstances of how Sean was killed. There are other investigations into the death at UN and Defence Force level that need to provide information to the family as well as provide opportunities to learn from what happened so this can never occur again."
A second Irish soldier Trooper Sean Kearney was also seriously injured in the same attack but survived. Ayyad's death sentence is valid for 25 years.
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