By 
GARDA killer Pearse McAuley has been released from prison after serving seven years for a violent attack on his ex-wife.
Originally from Strabane, McAuley had been sentenced to 12 years, with four suspended, in 2015, for the attack on Pauline Tully at her home on Christmas Eve in 2014. He stabbed her 13 times.
McAuley had been previously been jailed for killing Det Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996.
Ahead of his release, Ms Tully, who is a Sinn Féin TD, expressed her hope that McAuley would leave her family alone when he is released from prison.
Ms Tully was speaking to the Irish Mirror podcast, The Glass Ceiling. She said, “I just have to hope that he leaves us alone, basically.
“I do have a protection order in place and I’m just hoping, well life has to go on for me anyway.
“I have no control over what he might do or might not do.
“I just have to be vigilant, I suppose, to see how things are and tell the boys to be the same and hope as I said, with the passage of time he won’t bother us.”
Sinn Féin had previously stood by McAuley and three other IRA killers, after the killing of Garda McCabe during a robbery.
The Tyrone native had initially been sentenced to 14 years in jail but was released after serving ten.
Ms Tully married the Strabane man while he was serving time in prison for this killing.
On Christmas Eve 2014, McAuley turned up at Ms Tully’s house and attacked her.
At the time, Ms Tully managed to escape after an intoxicated McAuley fell asleep.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)