The Irish authorities were strongly criticised by the parents of the late Georgina Eager as the five-week trial over the murder of their daughter came to an end in London yesterday.
A jury at Inner London Crown Court took 4½ hours to find Christopher Newman (63), also known as "Professor Saph Dean", guilty of the murder of Ms Eager.
Judge Jonathan van der Werff sentenced him to life imprisonment with a stipulation that parole could not even be considered until he had served 12 more years in addition to the two he has already been in prison.
A practitioner of alternative medicine, Newman stabbed Ms Eager (28) a total of 21 times with a kitchen knife at her flat, which was beside his clinic in Walkinstown, Dublin, on May 22nd, 2003.
The defendant fled to London, where he was arrested and tried.
A little-known British legislative provision meant Newman, a British citizen of Indian origin, could be tried for the crime in the UK. George Eager, father of the deceased woman, warmly welcomed yesterday's verdict but was critical of the fact that the trial had not taken place in Ireland.
"Only yesterday we learnt that the British authorities had requested that the Irish authorities seek the extradition of the accused so that the trial could be held in Dublin where the crime was committed.
"Because the Irish authorities refused to do so the case was heard in London instead," he said.
"We also want to know why the Irish State did not send a legal observer to attend at the trial."
Department of Justice sources told The Irish Times last night: "Extradition under the system which existed at the time [ 2003] was a matter for the Garda Commissioner in consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions, in accordance with provisions of the Extradition Act, 1965.
"So the Minister for Justice did not have any role in the decision on where this trial was to take place.
"The provision of a legal adviser is a matter for the Chief State Solicitor or the DPP. The Department of Foreign Affairs monitored the progress of the trial and provided whatever assistance it could to the family.
"We advised the family several weeks back that they could seek compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal, an independent body under the auspices of the Department of Justice."
Supt Tom Mulligan, Crumlin, said the Garda had no role in deciding where the trial took place. He imagined this decision was made by law officers of both prosecutions.
Setting out the details of the crime, Judge van der Werff said that although the motive was not entirely clear, he thought Newman was in love with Georgina, and his jealousy made him determined that no one else could have her.
Referring to the victim, he said: "She saw no bad in anyone, but good in everyone."
Newman had taken advantage of her.
In addition to the jail sentence, the judge ordered that Newman should never again be permitted to run a clinic like the one he operated in Dublin.