A man has appeared in court and charged with the murder of Carrie Mullane (Nooan) from Moyross.
A MAN has been charged with the murder of Limerick woman Carrie Mullane (Noonan).
Michael Lynch (35) from Enniskillen appeared in Dungannon Magistrates’ Court via video link from custody on Saturday morning, November 7.
The suspect was arrested on Wednesday, November 4, on suspicion of murder, and was yesterday charged with murder and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse. He confirmed that he understood the charges against him.
Police believe that mother of four Ms Mullane (39), from Moyross, was murdered after arriving in Enniskillen on October 10 and that the suspect then disposed of her body in Lough Erne.
Ms Mullane was last seen travelling to Enniskillen, Fermanagh, on October 10. Lynch was reportedly the last person to see her.
According to Police, the pair travelled from Limerick to Enniskillen via public transport on the date. CCTV inquiries established that they then travelled by taxi from Enniskillen bus station to Lynch’s property in Trasna Park. She was later reported missing.
House-to-house inquiries heard the couple were staying in a campervan parked in front of a house in Trasna Park. Neighbours reported seeing Ms Mullane frequently move between the house and campervan, but that there were no sightings in the past number of weeks.
A welfare check by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was conducted on Ms Mullane at Lynch’s property on October 29, but she was not located. The court also heard Lynch consented to a police search of his property the next day, October 30, but withdrew that consent “within minutes.”
Chronology as told in court
Ms Mullane collected weekly benefits in Limerick, which PSNI Senior Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Olivia Lyons told the court had not been collected since October 10. She also said that family and friends had reported that it was unusual she had not been in touch with them.
Lynch denied to the court harming Ms Mullane and told police he had not seen her since October 10. He also told police that Ms Mullane owed some money to unknown persons.
Det Sgt Lyons told the court that a taxi driver reported driving the accused and the victim. They continued that Lynch helped an intoxicated Ms Mullane from the vehicle into his property in Trasna Park, Enniskillen.
The taxi driver stated that Ms Mullane “was under the influence of alcohol and Lynch was slabbering.”
Det Sgt Lyons said Lynch had told them they had had a row regarding his former partner on the journey to Enniskillen. The accused also claimed that he had fallen asleep by the time they arrived at the house and that, when he awoke, Ms Mullane had disappeared.
Lynch told the court that he then received a message on Facebook Messenger, telling him that she was travelling to Derry and ending their relationship. However, the detective sergeant said the message “was not typically how she would speak in messages.”
It was alleged he provided detectives with a different version of events. “He implied he’d been knocked out by a substance administered by Mullane but was vague in description and he provided no detail,” Det Sgt Lyons said.
She also noted that the accused began clearing out his van on October 23. It was then towed and sold for scrap on October 24.
Key evidence presented
A blood-stained carpet, a blood-stained Converse shoe, and a bottle of Flash cleaning liquid were later discovered in the van.
The carpet is believed to have been from the living room of Lynch’s property. This is where police believe the victim was fatally injured. DNA matching Ms Mullane and Lynch was also discovered through blood spatter on the TV in the property.
Police believe Lynch drove a van on October 11 into Enniskillen and then visited a jetty, according to the detective sergeant. It is believed that Lynch travelled during hours when he said he was knocked out, to hide evidence and the victim’s body.
The court heard that Lynch asked a man on Snapchat to bring him to a sinking boat at Carrybridge. The man reported that he did not know Lynch very well and thought the request was strange.
The boat has been located and is due to be forensically examined.
A phone containing several SIM cards, one of which contained a number used on Ms Mullane’s benefit registration, was taken from Lynch during his arrest, the court heard.
Suspect status and upcoming proceedings
Lynch was refused bail on the grounds of risks of interference with witnesses and justice, risk of flight, and risk of reoffending.
Police suggested that if granted bail, Lynch may flee to the Republic of Ireland, where he has “extensive links.”
Police have formally appealed to him via letter to return the victim’s body.
Lynch is to appear again at Enniskillen Magistrates’ Court via video link on November 30.