A murderer who knifed his girlfriend to death is at large after escaping from custody yesterday afternoon, which comes just days after another convicted golfclub killer also went on the run.

As well as the two convicted murderers, a man serving time for an attempted hijacking is also on the run from police in Northern Ireland.

David McCord, who was convicted of stabbing and strangling his partner Nichola Dickson to death, escaped yesterday from the custody of prison officers at a property on Crumlin Road in north Belfast.

The 54-year-old, who originally received a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 11 years, was last seen on Castlereagh Road in the east of Belfast at around 4.30pm.

Ms Dickson was 26 years old when McCord, who she met online, strangled and stabbed her to death in the bedroom of her home in Ballycarry, Co Antrim, in January 2003.

Nichola’s body was found by her mother in a bedroom at the house on Hillhead Road, Ballycarry.

Her brother Gareth Smyth told the Belfast Telegraph that there is a determination to put McCord through a release scheme but he repeatedly ‘fails it’.

He asked when authorities were going to ‘give up’ because he’s ‘not safe to be out’.

Mr Smyth said his mother is scared of going into the town centre in case she bumps into her daughter’s killer.

He said: ‘The fact that he’s out and about somewhere, I know she’s worried, but she would never admit that.’

The PSNI said: ‘Police are working to locate 54-year-old David McCord, who is currently unlawfully at large.’

McCord was wearing a green jacket, blue tracksuit bottoms and was holding a red carrier bag.

Police are appealing to anyone who has seen him to make contact but not to approach him. McCord is also asked to hand himself in to authorities.

Meanwhile, Dean Michael Woods, 46, who was convicted in 1997 of beating to death Brian Peden with a golf club in Coleraine two years earlier, is also at large.

He had been on pre-release training but failed to return to Maghaberry Prison.

He was convicted of murdering 26-year-old Mr Peden in the Ballysally estate in a premeditated attack in December 1995.

In 2007, when Woods’ appeal to have his 15-year minimum tariff reduced by the High Court, the then Lord Chief Justice Brian Kerr wrote: ‘The prisoner had clearly intended to carry out a violent attack.

‘He not only armed himself with a potentially lethal weapon, he aimed blows at the victim’s head in a manner calculated to maximise the injury inflicted.’

Woods is described as being a slim build, 5.5ft in height with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair.

He has tattoos on his chest and upper left arm, one of a heart and the other a tribal line.

Woods was just 18 years old when he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 15 years.

Police are also appealing for information to find Lee Price, 25, who was convicted in relation to an attempted hijacking in September 2021.

He has breached the conditions of his release from prison on licence, the PSNI said.

Price is 5ft 11in tall with a medium build, ginger hair and blue eyes.

If spotted, people are warned not to approach Price directly. He is also being urged to hand himself in.