Body of mother flown home from Spain

SEVEN weeks after she was beaten to death in front of her children, the body of a Dublin mother-of-three was flown home from Spain.

Celine Conroy 26, was attacked by her partner, Paul Hickey, while the couple were on holidays in Alicante.

The 26-year-old Dubliner was found lying in a pool of blood by police on August 28 at the holiday home she shared with her long-term partner Paul Hickey.

Her mother and father, Sandra and David, and members of her extended family gathered in Dublin Airport on Saturday as the coffin arrived home. It’s believed that Celine’s injuries were so severe that the casket cannot be opened.

The attack took place in front of their three children - Shane, eight, Chloe, six, and Leah, one - who are now staying with relatives.

Mr Hickey is being held in Spain pending further investigations into his long-term partner’s death. His father is Paul Ainscough, known as “Gash”, a previously well-known heroin dealer in Dublin’s north inner city in the 1980s.

Celine’s mother, Sandra, last night thanked the Taoiseach and a Galway solicitor, Tony McGinty, who she said had worked tirelessly to bring her daughter’s body home.

At one point, it was feared that the body could be kept in Spain for up to two years until the case against 28-year-old Mr Hickey had taken place.

“Bertie promised to help us get Celine home as quickly as possible. We knew that he cut through a lot of red tape by contacting the Spanish government,” Sandra said.