By Conor Sharkey

CONVICTED RAPIST Eamon Foley is due back in court today (Thursday), charged with breaching the conditions of a sexual offenders order.

Foley (47), who has served half of a 16-year sentence for raping 91-year-old Mary-Anne McLaughlin, last week won the right to be released from prison without first telling the authorities where he intends to live.

Foley was released last September, however he was immediately rearrested outside Magilligan Prison after breaching the sex offenders legislation by refusing to provide an approved address.

He will appear by video link before Derry Magistrates Court this morning to answer the breach.

Since then, five possible addresses have been considered by a board of members of the PSNI, Probation Service and the Health Board for Foley.

These included his mother's home on the Tyrone/Donegal border, a Housing Executive property, a welfare hostel and hotel and hostel in Donegal.

Three of these offers were later withdrawn by the proprietors or landlords, while the other two were deemed unsuitable.

Derry Magistrate's Court heard last Thursday that Foley's daughter has been trying to arrange accommodation for her father, however she has so far been unsuccessful.

RM Barney McElholm said that while he "had grave concerns for the safety of the public", he would be against imposing a condition that would, in effect, turn Foley's sentence into an indefinite one.

He ruled that Foley should be released on the condition that he notifies the authorities of an approved address within 72 hours and that he avoids contact with vulnerable adults.

Under Mr McElholm's ruling, Foley could be released back into the wider community within days.