Turkey murder accused faces test to determine age

A MAN accused of murdering two Irishwomen at a holiday resort in Turkey in August has had his trial suspended for two months.

A judge in Turkey has ruled that Recep Cetin, who is suspected of killing Marion Graham, 54, and Kathy Dinsmore, 53, from Newry, Co Down, will be required to have a bone marrow test to find out how old he is.

Cetin claims he is 17, but lawyers representing the families of the two women believe he is older.

If he is over 18, he will be tried in an adult rather than juvenile court.

That means he would face a much toughersentence if convicted.

Cetin was the boyfriend of Shannon Graham, Marion Graham’s 15-year-old daughter, when the bodies of the two women were found in a forest with multiple stab wounds.

Shannon gave evidence for an hour during the hearing in the Turkish city of Izmir.

She gave a statement to judges as a complainant.

Shannon told the court she was “deeply saddened” by the murders.

She added that Cetin had never asked her to marry him, or to get engaged.

However, she believed that her mother wanted her to leave Turkey and not come back because of her relationship with Cetin.

She claimed this may have motivated Cetin to kill her mother and Ms Dinsmore.

Lawyers for Cetin are claiming that he acted in self-defence. However, the lawyer for the Graham and Dinsmore families said he did not believe this defence was logical.

The next hearing will be in February.

Picture: Recep Cetin and Shannon Graham