Sex offender for extradition over murder

A convicted sex offender who is wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of his landlord last July is to be extradited back to Wales, following his appearance before Galway District Court.

David Ellis (40), of no fixed abode, and formerly of Swansea, Wales, has remained in custody since his arrest in Galway on September 19 last.

He had failed to register his details with the authorities on his arrival here in August as required under the terms of the international Sex Offenders Register.

Ellis was subsequently charged with the offence and appeared before a special court sitting in Galway on September 19, where he was remanded in custody.

He pleaded guilty to the charge.

In a separate development, South Wales police are anxious to question Ellis in relation to the disappearance of his landlord, Alec Warburton (59), who has not been seen since July 31st.

Det. Sgt. Adrian O’Neill gave evidence at Galway District Court of receiving information from South Wales Police on September 18 that Ellis was residing in Galway city.

Ellis, he said, was arrested a short time later at a house in College Road in the city and was charged with failing to register his name, address and other details with Gardai here, as required for the Sex Offender’s Register.

Det. O’Neill said he later established Ellis had been in this jurisdiction since August 23 but it was believed he had come to Ireland even earlier than that date.

Det. O’Neill said a European Arrest Warrant had been issued by the public prosecution service in the UK and that warrant had been executed in the High Court in Dublin last week.  A stay was put on the warrant, pending completion of the Galway charge.

Ellis, he said, had indicated he would not be contesting his extradition back to Wales and the charge before the District Court needed to be finalised before the extradition process could begin.

Imposing a one-month sentence on Ellis for failing to register, which was backdated to September 19, Judge Mary Fahy said the offence was a serious one which would normally carry a longer sentence, but in this instance, the lesser, backdated sentence was designed not to thwart the extradition process.