Man found dead after Hughes confession

The man who confessed to shooting dead a Crossmaglen Rangers player has been found dead in a holding cell at Cloverhill prison complex in Dublin.

Monaghan man Shane Rogers, 32, is understood to have taken his own life on Tuesday afternoon.

He had told gardaí investigating the murder of medal-winning GAA star James Hughes that he "couldn't live" with what had happened and had been deemed a suicide risk.

The GAA player died after a gunman opened fire on the taxi he had been travelling in on Sunday 11 December, after it pulled up outside fellow passenger Patricia Byrne's house in Dundalk.

Rodgers handed himself in shortly after the killing and was later charged with murder.

In a statement issued through the family's solicitor, Rogers' parents said their son had been full of remorse over the gun attack.

We would like to make it known that Shane had been broken-hearted over the death of Mr James Hughes and the injuries to Ms Patricia Byrne and Mr Anthony Callan.

Sean and Mary Rogers

"We are totally devastated and in total shock over Shane's tragic death," they said.

"Shane was totally remorseful over what happened in the tragic events that Sunday morning."

Mr and Mrs Rogers added that they were also broken-hearted over the death of Mr Hughes.

An Irish Prison Service spokesman confirmed that an inmate had been found dead in the Cloverhill complex and that investigations by gardaí and prison officials would be carried out.

During Rogers' original court appearance last Tuesday, Judge Flann Brennan had directed that he should receive medical and psychiatric attention.

The Prison Service spokesman said he could not discuss whether individual inmates were receiving such treatment.

Garda Sergeant Kieran Moore told the hearing that, when cautioned, Rodgers had replied: "I apologise to him (James Hughes) and to his family and friends and to Trish Byrne.

"I'm sorry for what I done. I cannot live with myself for doing this."

A nun in the chaplain's office in Cloverhill prison had been supporting Rogers over the past week.