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The body of murder victim Carrie Mullane was left in a camper van for two weeks before being wrapped in plastic sheeting and dumped in Lough Erne, a court has heard. The distressing details emerged at Strabane Magistrates' Court on Thursday during the appearance of Kenneth Lynch, 31, of Trasna Park, Enniskillen, who faces charges of withholding information and encouraging or assisting in the commission of an offence, namely murder. The hearing provided a grim timeline of the events following the 39-year-old's arrival in County Fermanagh from Limerick on 10 October 2026.
The court proceedings have drawn a stark picture of a family at the centre of a complex investigation. Kenneth Lynch appeared via videolink from Musgrave Street in Belfast. Daily Dazzling Dawn understands that a PSNI detective sergeant connected him to the charges, to which he replied that he understood. A defence solicitor indicated there was no application for bail, requesting an adjournment until next week for an application to be made.
Kenneth is the nephew of Michael Lynch, 35, of Trasna Park, Enniskillen, who has already been charged with Ms Mullane's murder and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse. Kenneth is also the grandson of Mary Lynch, 69, of Windmill Heights, Enniskillen, who appeared in court on Wednesday charged with withholding information from police. The court heard that the suspect, Michael Lynch, shared the Trasna Park property with his mother, Mary, and his nephew, Kenneth.
The court was told that on 29 October, the PSNI was contacted by Gardaí regarding Ms Mullane, who had not been seen since 10 October. Michael Lynch initially told police he was unsure when he last saw her, but believed it was in Limerick. However, upon being revisited by officers on 30 October, he changed his account, stating they had both travelled to Enniskillen by bus on 10 October and had argued about a former partner of his.
CCTV footage from Enniskillen bus station corroborated their arrival, showing Michael Lynch walking ahead carrying a shopping bag, with Ms Mullane trailing behind. The court heard she was seen to stagger before falling on the footpath outside the bus depot.
Kenneth Lynch later told police that both he and his grandmother were at the Trasna Park address when Michael Lynch and Ms Mullane arrived there on the evening of 10 October. Daily Dazzling Dawn learned that Kenneth described an immediate attack, stating Michael struck the victim four times to the head upon entering the property. He then allegedly lifted a Hoover, striking her again, causing her to lose consciousness. Kenneth claimed that when Ms Mullane fell, Michael continued to kick and beat her. While Kenneth stated he made attempts to stop the attack, at no point did he contact emergency services.
When Kenneth returned to the property at 01:00 GMT the next morning, he saw Ms Mullane slumped in a chair in the kitchen with a large, bleeding head injury. He told police he assisted his uncle in putting the victim into the camper van, laying her down on a mattress. Kenneth claimed Michael Lynch threatened to kill him and his family if he spoke to anyone.
The court heard that Michael allegedly kept the body in the van for approximately two weeks. Neighbours in the vicinity of Trasna Park reported seeing Michael clearing out the camper van around 23 October, carrying shopping bags and what appeared to be blankets and duvets. The vehicle was removed the next day and sold for scrap, though police have since seized it. Forensic examinations located blood belonging to the victim on pieces of carpet within the van, alongside a broken bed frame and a shoe that matched her DNA.
Kenneth Lynch told police that he eventually accompanied his uncle to a secluded area of Lough Erne, where the victim’s body was placed into the water, wrapped in black plastic sheeting and weighed down. He provided the location to police, leading divers to recover the body from Tullyinishmore Jetty near Carrybridge on Monday. A post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death to be injuries to the head and neck.
Police believe Kenneth Lynch was present at the property when Ms Mullane was murdered and potentially assisted in covering up the death by helping remove the body and other items. He was declared a suspect on 3 November and allegedly fled to the Republic of Ireland with his grandmother in an attempt to evade police, returning on 9 November where they were arrested.
The detective sergeant noted that during his police interview, Kenneth Lynch expressed fear of his uncle, stating that Michael had threatened to kill him and his family. The case has been adjourned to Dungannon Court on 18 November.
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