Body of murder victim ‘left in van for two weeks before being dumped in lough’

Strabane Magistrates’ Court heard that during an alleged attack by her partner, Ms Mullane had been struck a number of times on the head, including being hit with a vacuum cleaner.

The court heard that a nephew of the murder accused, who also faces charges, is suspected of attempting to help dispose of the body.

Ms Mullane, 39, had been missing since she arrived in Enniskillen from Limerick on October 10.

On Monday, police recovered a body from Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh. A formal identification process on the remains is continuing.

Two people have previously appeared in court.

Michael Lynch, 35, of Trasna Park, Enniskillen, was charged at the weekend with the murder of Ms Mullane and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse.

His mother, Mary Lynch, 69, from Windmill Heights, Enniskillen, has been charged with withholding information from police.

Kenneth Lynch, 31, from Trasna Park, Enniskillen, a nephew of Michael Lynch and a grandson of Mary Lynch, appeared in court in Strabane via videolink from Musgrave St in Belfast on Thursday.

A PSNI detective sergeant told the court they could connect him to charges of withholding information and encouraging or assisting in the offence of murder.

When asked if he understood the charges, Kenneth Lynch told the court “I do”.

A defence solicitor said there was no application for bail but asked that the case be adjourned until next week when an application would be made.

The detective sergeant told the court that on October 29, the PSNI had been contacted by Gardai about Ms Mullane, originally from Limerick, who had not been seen since October 10.

She told the court that Ms Mullane’s partner Michael Lynch, who has been charged with her murder, shared a home at Trasna Park with his mother and nephew.

She said Michael Lynch had originally told police he was unsure when he had last seen Ms Mullane, but believed it was in Limerick around October 10.

He said he had been trying to contact her via Facebook messenger.

The officer said when police revisited the Trasna Park address on October 30, Michael Lynch “changed his account”.

She told the court he now said they had both travelled to Enniskillen from Limerick by bus on October 10.

He told police they had argued about a former partner of his.

The officer told the court that CCTV footage from Enniskillen bus station showed Michael Lynch walking ahead carrying a shopping bag, with Ms Mullane behind him.

She said: “She is seen to stagger before falling on the footpath outside the bus depot.”

The officer said house-to-house inquiries in the vicinity of Trasna Park resulted in neighbours reporting they had not seen Ms Mullane in a number of weeks.

The detective sergeant said the couple had previously been sleeping in a camper van at the front of the property.

She said neighbours reported seeing Michael Lynch clearing out the camper van around October 23.

She said: “He seemed to be carrying shopping bags and what appeared to be blankets and duvets.”

The officer said the camper van was removed from the property the next day and sold for scrap.

She said police had since seized the vehicle.

The court then heard that police had visited the Trasna Park address on November 2 and spoke to Kenneth and Mary Lynch. The officer said he was “highly agitated” and said he had no further information.

On the same date, Michael Lynch was arrested.

The officer said forensic examinations located blood belonging to the victim on pieces of carpet within the van.

She said police believe Kenneth Lynch was present at the Trasna Park property when Ms Mullane was murdered and “potentially assisted Michael Lynch with covering her death by assisting with the removal of body and assisting with the removal of items from the address”.

Kenneth Lynch was declared a suspect on November 3, the court heard.

The officer said he had “fled to the Republic of Ireland with grandmother Mary Lynch, in what we believe was an attempt to evade police”.

The pair returned to Northern Ireland on November 9 and were arrested.

The detective sergeant said during police interview, Kenneth Lynch said both he and his grandmother were at the Trasna Park address when Michael Lynch and Ms Mullane arrived there on the evening of October 10.

She said: “Michael Lynch and the victim had been arguing, and immediately after entering the property, Michael struck the victim four times to the head.

“He then lifted what is believed to be a Hoover, striking her again to the head, which made her lose consciousness.”

The officer said Kenneth Lynch told police that when Ms Mullane fell, Michael Lynch “continued to kick and beat her”.

She said: “Kenneth would say that he made attempts to stop the attack, but at no time did Kenneth contact emergency services.”

The officer said Kenneth Lynch left the house for a time and when he returned Ms Mullane was “slumped in a chair in the kitchen, making gurgling sounds with a large bleeding head injury”.

She said Kenneth Lynch then assisted his uncle in putting the victim in the camper van, laid down on a mattress.

She said Kenneth Lynch had told police Michael Lynch had threatened to kill him and his family if he spoke to anyone.

The officer said: “He believes that Michael had Carrie’s body in the van for around two weeks until, on an unknown date or time, he accompanied him to a secluded area of Lough Erne, where the victim’s body was placed into the water.”

She said the body was wrapped in black plastic sheeting and weighed down.

The court heard Kenneth Lynch had provided police with the location of the site and the body was recovered by police divers on Monday.

The officer said a post-mortem examination had shown the cause of death to be injuries to the head and neck.

The case was adjourned to Dungannon Court on November 18.