A CONVICTED murderer from Blackburn is to appeal to the Supreme Court in Ireland to reverse a decision to extradite him back to the UK.

Anthony Craig was sentenced to life in prison for killing accountant John Kirby in Corporation Park in 1973 by hitting him repeatedly with a brick.

The murderer, formerly of Kendal Street, served 28 years of his sentence before escaping from prison and fleeing to Ireland.

In July, High Court judge Mr Justice John Edwards said that he had decided to surrender Anthony Craig to the UK authorities.

However, the order was not finalised and the 66-year-old has remained on bail to allow lawyers consider making an application for leave to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

Ms Cathleen Noctor BL, for the Minister of Justice and Equality, told the High Court that written submissions from Craig’s lawyers had been received.

However, Ms Noctor said: “My client wishes to review the submissions, and there may be modifications to the questions.”

Craig currently has an address in Rathcoole in south Dublin.

He murdered Mr Kirby, a 32-year-old from Whalley Road, Samlesbury, in November 1973 after following him to the park under the pretence that they were going to have sex.

The defendant then robbed his victim, who was openly gay, of two pence and hit him three times over the head with a brick.

After serving almost 30 years in jail, he walked out of HMP Sudbury, an open prison in Derbyshire, and failed to return.

Craig was arrested on February 14 last year after an extradition warrant was given to authorities in the UK.

Mr Justice Edwards remanded Craig on continuing bail until October 7, when the case will he heard again.