Renewed hope over new leads in Portlaoise Prison Officer murder probe

A meeting with gardaí has given the family of murdered prison officer Brian Stack an ‘element of renewed hope’ this week. 

Brian Stack was shot in the neck by members of the IRA outside the National Stadium in Dublin 40 years ago on March 25, 1983. His assailants escaped on a motorbike. Mr Stack died from his injuries in September 1984 leaving behind his wife and three young sons. 

Speaking to the Leinster Express/Laois Live, his son Austin Stack said Gardaí are now following two or three new lines of enquiry in relation to the case.  

Gardaí requested the meeting with the family members in order to update them on the file that Gardaí sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) in July 2019.  

Since the file was sent to the DPP the Garda Commissioner has written to the Stack family and put on record the verbal apology that he gave to the family on 10 July 2019 in relation to the shortcomings and handling of the case by the Gardaí.

“Basically we had a good meeting with the gardaí. Our expectation was that the DPP was going to decide to recommend no prosecution,” said Mr Stack. 

“The DPP didn’t take that course of action,”  he explained. 

“Gardai are now following a couple of new lines of inquiry,” said Mr Stack. 

He said the family has been asked to contact Gardaí again in a few months in order to be kept abreast of the investigation. 

Mr Stack said key evidence had been mislaid following the initial investigation. These included a motorbike helmet and fingerprints from the scene. These evidential items were collected and documented but Mr Stack said gardai have been unable to locate them or explain to the Stack family where they are.  

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“They have not been able to provide us with a satisfactory explanation,” said Mr Stack.

Pictured above Brian Stack(Left) and Austin Stack(Right)

He said there had been a Garda Cold Case review in 2008 or 2009 which had made a large number of recommendations in relation to the investigation. The case has since been handled by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Mr Stack said the latest meeting had given the family “an element of renewed hope” that the family may get justice.