Men charged in connection with burned body

TWO men were last night charged with murder in connection with the discovery of a woman’s body in a burnt-out car in Wexford on Friday.

At a special sitting of Wexford District Court last night Lithuanian nationals Ricardas Dilys and Ruslanas Mileikis, both in their mid-20s, were charged with the murder of mother-of-two Rebecca French.

Another man, Polish national Piotr Pasiak, also in his mid-twenties, was charged with impeding the apprehension and prosecution of an offence. Following the brief sitting before Judge Donncha O Buachalla, all three men were remanded in custody to appear before Clover Hill District Court next Friday.

Two women who were detained in relation to Ms French’s death, one of whom is Irish, have been released without charge, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to one of them.

A male in his 40s, with an address in Wexford and who was also detained in connection with the case, was still being questioned in Wexford Garda Station last night. It is understood he would be held overnight after his period of detention was interrupted by hospital treatment.

On Friday six people – including two women – were arrested in Wexford town following the discovery of Ms French’s body in the boot of a burnt-out navy Opel Corsa.

Firemen made the grim discovery at around 4.30pm on Friday after being alerted to the presence of a burning vehicle down a laneway near a roundabout at Ballindinas, on the Dublin side of Wexford town.

The firefighters quenched the fire and then discovered the charred remains of Ms French, a 30-year-old native of Maudlintown in Wexford town, in the boot.

It is understood that she had dropped her two children off at the Scoil Mhuire National School in Coolcotts earlier in the day.

It is understood that when gardaí and the emergency services went to the scene of the burning car they saw four men walking along the main road.

Following the discovery of her body, six people were arrested, including four men.

Garda attention has also focused on a house in the Ard na Dara estate in the town. Gardaí believe that a violent incident took place at the house, which was sealed off for forensic examination by members of the Garda Technical Bureau over the weekend. Yesterday gardaí combed ditches near the house and also close to the area where the car was discovered in search of a weapon.

State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy carried out an examination of Ms French’s body over the weekend. As yet, however, gardaí are unsure where Ms French died.

The dead woman’s mother, Nancy, and sister, Rachel, who live in the town, were last night being comforted and were said to be distraught at Rebecca’s death.

It is understood Ms French lived in the Mount Prospect area of Wexford with her two children.

It is believed she had spent a number of years living in London and had married a South African man, before returning home to Wexford.