Killorglin murder accused attended party on day pair last seen alive

The man accused of murdering a mother and daughter in Co Kerry last year had attended a party on the day they were last seen alive, a court heard today.

Lithuanian forestry worker Aurimas Andruska (27) of Ardmoniel Heights, Killorglin has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Jolanta Lubiene(27) and her daughter Enrika (8) at their rented home at 9 Langford Downs, Killorglin on a date unknown between June 15th and June 17th, 2013.

The trial at the Central Criminal Court in Tralee heard from his work colleague Aurimas Mockus. It was Mr Mockus’s birthday on June 15th and he was holding a party that night in his house. Andruska and others arrived at 6pm and they left the party around 11pm, the court heard.

Asked what Mr Andruska was wearing and if he had changed his clothes, and if the top and pants he wore in the evening were the same as that of those of the morning , Mr Mockus said he couldn’t tell if it were the same , but Mr Andruska was wearing “something dark”.

The trial was also shown CCTV footage of his movements on June 15th.

Some 500 hours of CCTV footage were analysed by gardaí and on June 15th, the movements of Mr Andruska are captured between 10am and 1.16 pm when he and work colleagues help return a forestry van to Killarney, shop, go to a bottle bank and a bookmakers in Killorglin, the trial heard.

“But there is no footage of Mr Andruska between 1.16pm and 5.52pm,” on the day, Tom Rice prosecutor put it to Garda witness. Mr Andruska also appears on Sunday morning going to a supermarket.

The trial has also heard from an expert from Vodafone. He has said the last communication on Enrika’s phone was at lunchtime 13.32pm on June 15th and it was a call from her mother’s phone and lasted 150 seconds.

The last communication from Jolanta’s phone was a text message at 13.44pm, when she would have been on her way home from work, the trial heard.

The case continues.