Praise for gardaí in doublemurder trial

The national chairwoman of the Federation for Victim Assistance has said the trial of a 28-year-old Lithuanian man found guilty of murdering a mother and daughter was the most difficult she had attended in 20 years.

Mairead Fernane, who sat with the family of victims, Jolanta Lubiene, 27, and her daughter, Enrika, 8, during the five-week trial, also paid tribute to the gardaí involved in the investigation.

“They [gardaí] were so courteous to this family who were going through so much pain,” she said. “The family are so grateful for everything that was done for them.”

Ms Fernane was with Ms Lubiene’s husband Marius Lubys, her mother Ramute, and her sister Kristina at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Tralee.

She singled out Garda liaison officer Jason O’Mahony, saying he really cared for the family.

Aurimas Andruska, a forestry worker of Ardmoniel Heights, Killorglin, Co Kerry, received concurrent life sentences on Thursday, after being convicted by a jury of murdering Ms Lubiene and her daughter at their rented home, No 9 Langford Downs, Killorglin, in June 2013.

The victims were stabbed to death, with Ms Lubiene receiving 61 wounds and Enrika 11 wounds.

Meanwhile, gardaí still have an open file on another murder in Killorglin, committed more than two years ago. Despite an intensive probe, nobody has been charged with the killing of James Cahillane, 58, whose body was found in his home at Ardraw, about 5km outside Killorglin, after a fire on April 19, 2012.

A 29-year-old man was questioned at Tralee Garda Station, on June 13 last, but was released without being charged. However, senior Garda officers have said they are confident the probe will be brought to a successful conclusion.