Joe O’Reilly, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of his wife Rachel in 2004, has completed a university degree while in prison — paid for by the Irish taxpayer.
O’Reilly, aged 54 and currently imprisoned at Wheatfield Prison, completed an Open University course and celebrated his graduation last week alongside his partner Nikki Pelley and a family member who attended the ceremony, reports The Mirror.
Rachel Callaly, aged 30, was found bludgeoned to death with a dumbbell at their home in The Naul, north Co Dublin. O’Reilly attempted to stage the killing as a burglary gone wrong and even appeared on RTÉ’s Late Late Show to publicly appeal for information on who could have murdered his wife, before his eventual arrest and conviction in 2007.
A source said O’Reilly was “delighted” to share the milestone with his loved ones, with Pelley described as visiting him almost every weekend and remaining “very devoted” to him, reports The Mirror.
The cost of the Open University course was covered by the Irish Prison Service, which provides access to third-level education for prisoners as part of rehabilitation programmes. The Irish Prison Service funds educational courses for inmates across a range of disciplines, reports The Mirror.
Rachel’s mother, who discovered her daughter’s body, previously said of O’Reilly: “He knew I was going to find her but he just has no moral compass in any way. That wouldn’t worry him, I don’t think it would even register with him.”
Rachel’s brother Paul said in 2023: “My view is that I don’t think he should ever get out. He should never be released. I think he’s a psychopath,” reports The Mirror.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
