The solicitor of murdered Latvian mother-of-two Baiba Saulite has returned to his legal practice in Swords, Co Dublin after spending two weeks abroad on Garda advice.
In a statement yesterday, John Hennessy, who remains under Garda protection, appealed to members of the public to provide gardaí with any information which could help in their investigation into Ms Saulite's death.
He said his main priority was to see the "cold-blooded murderers" of his client brought to justice. In a statement released through the Law Society, Mr Hennessy said he was pleased he was able to express his deep condolences to his client's family at her funeral at the weekend.
"He attended Baiba's funeral in Riga, Latvia, two days ago at the invitation of her family whom he met before, during and after the funeral. Her family are every bit as impressive, dignified and courageous as Baiba was," the statement said.
"Because of the ongoing murder investigation and because, as her solicitor, he has obligations of confidentiality to Baiba Saulite which continue despite her murder, he reconfirms that he is not prepared to give any interviews to the media." He said he was extremely grateful to the Garda for their protection in the past and their continued protection.
"He is very appreciative of the support he has received, both from his colleagues in the Law Society and from his family and friends, throughout this very difficult time," the statement said.
The president of the Law Society, Philip Joyce, said the Garda must provide whatever it takes by way of protection to guarantee Mr Hennessy's safety. "It is not merely unthinkable at a human level, it would also be unthinkable in terms of damage to the State and to Irish society if any harm were to befall him," Mr Joyce said.
Ms Saulite (28) was shot dead as she stood in the hallway of her north Co Dublin home on November 19th.
Hundreds of mourners, including her parents, Raitis and Ilze, and her brother Karlis, attended the ceremony at the Mesha Kapi Cemetery in Riga on Saturday. Mr Hennessy, who gardaí told a court last week feared for his life as a result of threats made to him, was accompanied to the funeral by a garda.
The investigation into Ms Saulite's murder is ongoing. Gardaí have expressed satisfaction with the response they received to a recent appeal for information on her murder on RTÉ's Crimecallprogramme. Crimestoppers has also offered a €10,000 reward for information on the murder.
