Man, 61, denies murder of schoolgirl 11 years ago

A 61-year-old man accused of murdering a schoolgirl who vanished more than 10 years ago went on trial yesterday.

Robert Lesarian Howard denies the murder of 15-year-old Arlene Arkinson, of Castlederg, Co Tyrone, who disappeared after a night out at Bundoran, Co Donegal, in August 1994.

Despite extensive searches on both sides of the border, her body has never been found.

Howard also faces four charges of perverting the course of justice by either allegedly telling lies about the girl’s disappearance or getting others to tell lies on his behalf.

Opening the case for the prosecution at Belfast Crown Court, Gordon Kerr QC said that on the night the girl disappeared, on Saturday, August 13, 1994, she had gone out with Mr Howard, his girlfriend’s daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend.

He said the last time the girl was seen alive was when Mr Howard drove off alone with her in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mr Kerr said at the time of the girl’s disappearance Howard had a flat in Castlederg but was living with Patricia Quinn and her family in the centre of town.

He said that on Saturday, a loose arrangement had been made for Mrs Quinn, her daughter Donna and Donna’s boyfriend Sean Heggarty to go across the border for drinks with Mr Howard driving them.

The court would hear that Arlene, who was Donna’s friend, also came along.

Evidence will be given that after the night out, Donna and Sean were dropped off at Sean’s house outside Castlederg and Mr Howard drove off at around 2.30am with Arlene.

It was not until the following Wednesday that Donna spoke to Mr Howard and asked him where he had left Arlene, said Mr Kerr.

Mr Howard said he had dropped the teenager at her sister’s home but the next day changed his story to say he had left her outside a bar in the middle of Castlederg.

Mr Kerr said Donna would say Mr Howard appeared “edgy” and asked her to say that Arlene had not been with them on the Saturday night.

She will say he also asked for Sean’s phone number so he could ask him to come up with the same story.