THE TRIAL of two men charged with murdering a mother of two in Wexford last year has heard that two apparently bloodstained golf clubs were found at the scene of the alleged murder.
The jury was hearing from fingerprint and crime scene examiner Det Garda Cathal Hannigan on the third day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court.
Ruslanas Mineikas (26) and Ricardas Dilys (28), both originally from Lithuania, of Goodtide Harbour and formerly of Davitt Road South, Wexford town, have pleaded not guilty to murdering 30-year-old Rebecca French on October 9th, 2009 in a house in Ard Na Dara, Clonard.
Firefighters found Ms French’s body that afternoon as they quenched a blaze in her car about two kilometres away from the house.
She had died of blunt force trauma to the head.
Det Garda Hannigan and his colleagues spent four days examining the house in Ard Na Dara, where the two defendants were arrested shortly after the discovery of Ms French’s body.
He took a number of finger and palm print lifts as well as several items including two golf clubs: a four-iron and an eight-iron.
He also seized a hammer, two petrol containers, a lighter fluid tin, four aerosol cans, four mobile phones, a large number of beer cans and several other potential exhibits.
Conor Devally SC, defending Mr Mineikas, asked him why he took the canister of lighter fluid and four aerosol cans.
“I was aware that items were burnt in the fireplace and this was on the mantelpiece,” he said, adding that it had been intimated to him that deodorant cans may have been used as part of an assault.
The trial continues this morning before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of seven men and five women.