A third person has appeared in court in connection with the murder of Carrie Mullane (Noonan), a mother-of-four from Limerick, who was reported missing amid concerns she hadn’t been in contact with her family or friends, nor engaged on social media.
On learning she had travelled north with Lynch, An Garda Siochana alerted PSNI on October 29 describing her as high-risk.
Last Saturday, Michael Lynch (35) from Trasna Park, Enniskillen was charged with murdering the 39-year-old and preventing the burial of her body on October 10.
On Wednesday, his mother Mary Lynch (69) from Windmill Heights, Enniskillen, was charged with failing to provide information knowing murder had been committed, between October 10 and November 11.
Today (Thursday) Kenneth Lynch (31) a cousin of Michael Lynch and with the same address, appeared today at Strabane Magistrates’ Court accused of withholding information and assisting after a murder had been committed
A detective sergeant confirmed the charges against him could be connected and set out further details of what occurred.
She explained Kenneth Lynch was present in the house with both Michael Lynch and his mother when police called for a welfare check on Ms Mullane.
He was noted to be “highly agitated” and irritated at the amount of time police were coming to the house.
He claimed he never heard or saw Ms Mullane at the house and had no further information.
After Michael Lynch’s arrest on November 2 his cousin “had fled” to the Republic of Ireland with Mary Lynch which police believe was an attempt to evade arrest, but returned on November 9 when he was arrested.
During interview he confirmed being present in the house when Michael Lynch “struck Carrie around four times to the head. He then picked up what is believed to be hoover and used this to strike her again to the head.”
Ms Mullane fell to the floor unconscious where Michael Lynch is alleged to have continued kicking and punching her.
While Kenneth Lynch claimed he tried to intervene, but he accepted he did not call police.
Later that night he said Carrie was “slumped in a chair in the kitchen making gurgling noises and bleeding from a large gash to her head.”
Kenneth Lynch left the house for a time until Mary Lynch phoned him at 4am to say, “Michael had left the house, and it was safe to return.”
Around 11am the next date Michael Lynch arrived back at the house and informed him “Carrie was dead and threatened to kill him and his family if he told anyone.”
He estimated Carrie’s body was hidden in the campervan parked outside the property for about two weeks and confirmed accompanying Michael to a secluded area of Lough Erne.
“Carrie’s body was wrapped in black plastic sheeting and weighted down with large rocks before being placed in the water,” said the detective.
Kenneth Lynch provided the area and police recovered the body on November 9.
Her cause of death was injuries to the head and neck.
A defence solicitor told the court there would be no application for bail at this time but it is expected to be made next week.
District Judge Alana McSorley ordered him to appear again by video-link on November 17.
BACKGROUND
It was previously disclosed police attended with Michael Lynch and he confirmed arriving with Carrie by bus on October 10.
From that point, all communication ceased and it is believed Carrie was murdered that night.
Lynch claimed he fell asleep of the sofa and when he woke Carrie was gone, later messaging him saying she had gone to Derry/Londonderry.
Enquiries continued and police returned the following day when his account changed to claiming he fell asleep having been “knocked out by a substance administered by Carrie” and she sent an “incoherent message” ending their relationship
Lynch also claimed Carrie would go “off radar a lot” and owed a lot of people money and had stolen his benefits when she left.
It emerged a campervan had been outside the property for many months but disappeared shortly after Carrie was last seen.
Lynch had requested a man tow the van to a scrapyard from where police recovered it.
The scrapyard owner confirmed buying van for £290 on October 24 but was suspicious when Lynch poured bleach down the toilet, in the knowledge it was going to be destroyed.
Prior to this, Lynch asked the man who towed the van to give him a lift to Carrybridge to attend to his “sinking boat”.
Police returned to Lynch and he consented to a house search but within minutes withdrew this, telling old officers to leave as “his mother was distressed.”
However he permitted the Community Search & Rescue Team to carry on but nothing was found.
Meanwhile, forensic examination of the van revealed a bloodstaining on a carpet, broken bed frame and shoe matched Carrie’s DNA.
On November 2 the case was upgraded to murder and Lynch was arrested.
The bloodstained carpet had been lifted from the living room of the house and 10 blood spatters were discovered on the television containing both Carrie and Lynch’s DNA.
On November 5, police sealed off a jetty at Carrybridge and a sunken boat was recovered and taken for examination.
Cell-site analysis indicated Carrie’s phone never left Enniskillen however several SIM cards had been placed n it.
Lynch’s SIM card is believed to have been in Carrie’s phone which was used to arrange pick-up of the van to be scrapped.
Bail was refused due to concerns of witness interference and risk of reoffending given Lynch’s relevant record for significant domestic abuse against previous partners.
The detective also objected to his mother’s release (yesday) stating when police attended Trasna Park to speak with Lynch and ultimately carry out a search she remained in bed but later travelled to the Republic of Ireland, although did return after he was charged,
On October 30 she had been seen on CCTV in Enniskillen purchasing a phone which she told police was a birthday present for her son, despite his birthday being in August.
She confirmed being in the property throughout when Michael, “Hit Carrie 4-5 times. She says she intervened and sustained injuries in the process. She helped Carrie up from the floor and the last time she saw her was when she walked out of the house to the campervan.”
During interview, “She repeatedly said ‘I couldn’t save the girl’. She also said she told Michael to take Carrie to hospital. In the aftermath she was terrified and locked herself in her bedroom.”
In addition, she confirmed Lynch removed the carpet and admitted bring worried about this.
While aware of the missing person alert, she did not contact police as she did not believe Carrie was dead.
A defence barrister said Ms Lynch returned of her own volition and provided evidence to police.
Offering an address with her daughter in County Cork the defence said, “Ms Lynch is also a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her son and has no local family support.”
District Judge Francus Rafferty said while he felt the application was premature, he was “minded” to grant bail but definitely not to an address outside the jurisdiction.
He remanded Ms Lynch in custody to appear again by video-link on November 17.
