New hope for family of Arlene Arkinson as fresh information discovered

Substantive information has been unearthed over the disappearance of Irish schoolgirl Arlene Arkinson, a lawyer has said.

New hope for family of Arlene Arkinson as fresh information discovered

Substantive information has been unearthed over the disappearance of schoolgirl Arlene Arkinson, a lawyer has said.

Her family is delighted to see progress on the decades-old case, a coroner was told.

The material includes papers on lines of inquiry pursued by gardaí, searches carried out south of the border, and a purported meeting between gardaí and the former girlfriend of Robert Howard, the prime suspect in the murder.

Arlene, 15, from Castlederg, Co Tyrone, vanished after a night out across the border in Co Donegal in August 1994.

Ivor McAteer, a legal representative for the Arkinson family, told her inquest: "The family are delighted that the inquiries are moving forward."

Barrister for the coroner Ronan Daly said: "The letter on the second of August and material accompanying that letter does address those four areas substantively."

Two folders have been submitted to the coroner but some information may be duplicated.

Mr Daly said the documents were useful for the forthcoming inquest.

Arlene was last seen being driven down a country road by Howard, a convicted paedophile with a lengthy criminal history.

Despite extensive searches, including a fresh dig in Tyrone last year, her body has never been found.

The inquest opened in February 2016 and has heard evidence from dozens of witnesses including Howard's former girlfriend Patricia Quinn and senior detectives who worked on the case.

Friday's hearing of the inquest was told a meeting was held with Ms Quinn, her sister and a Garda representative.

The Arkinson family have previously been critical of the length of time the inquest has taken.

The coroner told the court he was mindful of the need to avoid delays: "I don't want to adjourn this generally. I want to keep momentum."

The next hearing has been scheduled to take place on October 23.

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

Irish homelessness Government criticised for missing social and affordable housing targets
National Risk Assessment for Ireland Tánaiste urges Israel ‘to show humanity’ and allow more aid into Gaza
Lego set based on RNLI lifeboat could soon become a reality Lego set based on RNLI lifeboat could soon become a reality
War_map
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited