Murderer freed from prison early because he was 'polite' stabbed his great-uncle to death less than a year later

Daily Mail​

20-05-2025

A murderer freed from prison for being 'polite' went on to stab his great uncle 71 times in bed until he died.
Direece Roche, 30, was released in 2023 after serving 12 years of a life sentence imposed in 2011 for stabbing an innocent bystander to death outside a New Year's Day party.
Despite this, prison officers described Roche as 'respectful' and as showing 'wisdom beyond his years' during parole hearings.
A year on from his release, Roche donned a balaclava and dressed in all black before breaking into the home of widower Fintan McDwyer at 3.30am, stabbing him to death.
The body of the 64-year-old grandfather who was Roche's great uncle was found five hours later when his son arrived home after staying out overnight due to a wedding celebration.
Inquiries revealed Roche had been freed for good behaviour despite being caught with a lock knife just five months earlier whilst on day release from an open prison.
He had previously applied for early release as long ago as 2019 when prison officers praised his 'mature and stable behaviour' and said he had been 'instrumental' in charity fundraising.
Details of the tragedy emerged as Roche, from Longsight, Manchester was convicted of murdering Mr McDwyer following a trial. He will face a second life term when he is sentenced at a later date.
In court Roche had claimed the victim had sexually abused him as a child and had acted in self defence and 'simultaneous loss of control' when Mr McDwyer ran at him with a knife during the break in.
He also claimed he was only at the house to steal Mr McDwyer's pet dog as he believed it had been named after his late mother. All his claims were dismissed as a 'carefully constructed, completely false defence' by prosecutors.
Earlier in an unusual legal move the court heard how jurors were allowed to learn of Roche's previous murder conviction when aged 16 he stabbed to death a care worker Adam Steele, 23, at random on January 1 2011.
At that time Roche and his older brother Owen, 23, had been nicknamed 'The Krays' in their former neighbourhood in Stockport due to their violent and intimidating behaviour. Owen was on the run after staging a dramatic breakout from court when he was charged with assault and false imprisonment on his girlfriend.
The two siblings were looking for the woman in the Salford area when they got involved in a fight with another man outside a party in Salford. During the scuffle Roche pulled out a knife and wrongly fearing Adam was a threat to his brother, stabbed him five times before leaving him to die on the pavement.
He later admitted murder and was ordered to serve a minimum of 12 years with the trial judge blaming his older brother for 'failing him.' Owen was given an indeterminate sentence for public protection after being convicted of manslaughter.
In the first few years of his stretch Roche was repeatedly disciplined for attacking guards and other inmates but in 2014 prison reports said he had been 'reflecting on how to avoid committing further offences.' It was claimed he had cut ties with criminal associates, including his brother and was planning to start a psychology degree course.
The reports said he had become the 'lynch-pin' of a small therapy group and shown 'wisdom beyond his years'. Prison officers praised his 'mature and stable behaviour'.
Parole was initially denied and early release in 2019 after a High Court judge said Roche had yet to prove that his violent lifestyle on the streets was 'well and truly past history' but he was moved to Category D Kirkham jail in Lancs.
Later in May 2023 whilst on day release from the prison he was caught in possession of a lock knife inside a bag - but despite his violent background he was granted parole the following September.
The latest killing occurred on July 1 2024 after CCTV captured Roche, wearing a balaclava, walking to the victim's house before breaking in through an upstairs window. He then slashed Mr McDwyer to the neck severing his jugular vein, before stabbing him to the face, head and body 71 times.
A camera used to monitor Mr McDwyer's dog Sammy in his front room captured audio which led investigators to believe the attack lasted around 90 seconds. Footage then showed Roche jumping over garden fences as he fled the scene.
A torch recovered in a neighbouring garden had Mr McDwyer's blood and traces of Roche's DNA on it. A smear of Mr McDwyer's blood was also found on a concrete post. Roche was arrested on 6 July 2024 but made no comment during his police interview. The murder weapon, his trainers and his balaclava were never recovered.
In court Roche alleged Mr McDwyer had sexually abused him twice when he was a young boy but had not told anyone about it. Six weeks prior to the murder he said he had bumped into the victim who was walking the dog at Platt Field's Park - and learnt the animal had been named after his late mother Samantha who took her own life in 2008.
'I wanted to get the dog so went out to commit the burglary. I just had a torch and went through his bedroom window. I didn't want no interaction with him at all - I just wanted to take Sammy and leave. But he woke up.
'I said "just give me the dog and I will go". He then said something like "your mum used to struggle, she didn't fight me like you".
He then claimed Mr McDwyer 'ran at him with a knife' and added: 'I had to get this guy off me, I had to escape. It was chaotic. I was emotionally all over the place and I was in the fight of my life.'
The court heard the dog is being cared for by Mr McDwyer's eldest son.
After the case Nicola Carter, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: 'Direece Roche planned carried out the brutal murder of his own relative as he lay in bed. He attempted to conceal his identity by wearing a balaclava as he walked the streets of Manchester before and after murdering his great uncle. He has failed to take full responsibility for his actions.'
Mr McDwyer whose wife Tracy died 20 years ago had a number of health issues including a surgically removed spleen as well as type 2 diabetes, depression and back problems.
His family said: 'Fintan was our own gentle giant, with a calm and reassuring presence. He had the most wonderful, soft, Irish lilt. He was a true gentleman, had a wonderful sense of humour, and always had a twinkle in his eye.
'There isn't anyone who would say a bad word about Fintan, and it breaks our hearts that he has been denied years to be with his sons and grandchildren.'