The Dundalk man who allegedly carried out the contract killing of a young mother may never stand trial, Belfast Crown Court heard yesterday.
The court also was told that Mr Danny Larkin, who allegedly confessed a year later to his part in the stabbing in August 1991, may never stand trial because of a ruling by the High Court in Dublin.
Before the court is Mr Philip Quigley, who claimed that Mr Larkin was the killer of Mrs Rose Moran (32) who was stabbed 37 times at her isolated bungalow.
Mr Quigley (24), from St Nicholas Avenue, on trial for her murder, also claims in his alleged confession that Mrs Moran's husband, Joe, set up the killing and offered him and his accomplice £5,000. A Garda detective told the court yesterday that attempts were still being made to extradite Mr Moran to Northern Ireland but in the case of Mr Larkin the Dublin High Court had ruled his arrest "unconstitutional".
Mrs Moran's mother and friends wept as details of Mr Quigley's confession to gardai were read in which he claimed Mrs Moran was killed during a bungled robbery.
He also claimed Mr Moran had set up the robbery and that Mr Larkin had "lost the head" and carried out the knife attack.