Two Lithuanian men charged with murdering woman

THE trial of two Lithuanian men charged with murdering a 30-year-old woman in Wexford last year has been told that one of them hit her over the head with a golf club while the other stamped on her ribs.

Ruslanas Mineikas, aged 26, and Ricardas Dilys, aged 28, of Goodtide Harbour in Wexford town have pleaded not guilty to murdering mother-of-two Rebecca French on October 9, 2009, in Ard Na Dara, Clonard.

Mary Ellen Ring, prosecuting, opened the case for the Central Criminal Court jury yesterday. She said it was the prosecution’s case that Dilys used a golf club to inflict three fractures to the victim’s skull and that Mineikas broke a number of her ribs by kicking and stamping.

Louise Fowler met Ms French driving on a bend near Wexford town about 9am that Friday. “She swerved… which caused the car in front of me to stop. She nearly crashed into us.”

Jacqui O’Hanlon said she served Ms French in Aldi in Clonard about 10am. She said a young woman with black eyes accompanied Ms French. This woman had a carrier bag over her wrist as they went through the checkout, and she asked her if she was paying for it.

“She actually had a bottle of rum in it. Rebecca came back to pay for it but I couldn’t serve her because it was before 10.30 and the alcohol law.”

Tomás Whelan said he saw a number of men drive a blue car from a house in Ard Na Dara at about 3.45pm that day.

A number of people gave evidence of seeing four men walking near a smoking car near Ferrycarrig less than half an hour later.

Garda James Lynch said he came across four men walking on the road on his way to the car. Mineikas and Dilys were among them.

Patrick Busher said he was extinguishing the fire when he noticed something in the boot. “I was able to look into the boot because the glass was gone,” he said, explaining that he realised there was a body inside.

The car belonged to the deceased, the court heard.

The trial continues.