A homeless fruit picker was today convicted of murder and arson for starting a blaze that tore through an Australian backpackers’ hostel killing 15 young travellers, including young Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe.

A jury in Australia has entered a second day of deliberations in the trial of a homeless fruit-picker accused of starting a fire that killed 15 young backpackers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe and seven British people.

Fire alarms at a backpackers’ hostel in Australia were switched off by one of the managers just weeks before a fire tore through the building, killing 15 young travellers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe, 24, a court heard.

A 38-year-old drifter accused of setting fire to the Australian backpackers’ hostel in which Limerick girl Julie O'Keeffe perished, is due to go on trial on Monday.

The murder trial of the man accused of starting a fire at an Australian backpacker hostel that killed 15 young travellers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe, has been postponed to February 18.

The man accused of starting a fatal fire at an Australian youth hostel will face trial in January, a court has ruled.

An Australian magistrate has ruled that there is enough evidence against the man charged with a hostel fire that killed 15 backpackers, including Limerick woman Julie O'Keeffe, for him to stand trial for murder and arson.

A fruit picker accused of starting a hostel fire in Australia that killed 15 backpackers - including an Irish girl - discussed burning down the building in the weeks before the blaze, a court has been told.