Ukrainian woman comforted by friends

A UKRAINIAN legal assistant and translator, injured in the car crash that killed Liam Lawlor, was last night being comforted by friends back in her adopted city of Prague.

Julia Kushnir, who is a 32-year-old mother-of-two, is said to be traumatised by the crash, the loss of a close working colleague and by the false early reports she was a teenage prostitute. Sources close to her said last night Ms Kushnir would issue a statement today. She is back in Prague, where she worked with Mr Lawlor on a number of projects over some years.

Ms Kushnir, who speaks fluent English, Czech and Russian, travelled with Mr Lawlor to Moscow for a meeting with Russian business associates involved in property dealing in Prague. Irish business people in Prague were contacted by associates of Ms Kushnir following her release from hospital on Sunday afternoon. They have been asked for advice on how to help deal with the aftermath of the crash and particularly the interest from Ireland.