The bodies of two Newry women who were murdered in Turkey, are to be brought home to Ireland today.

Marion Graham and Kathy Dinsmore, who were both in their fifties, were fatally stabbed close to the west coast city of Izmir last week.

Graham’s daughter, Shannon arrived home on Monday night accompanied by her father Raymond McGuinness. Her Turkish boyfriend Recep Cetin confessed to the double killing, police sources say.

The two victim’s bodies were released on Monday and are to arrive in Dublin Airport on Wednesday afternoon, before being transported to the women’s homes in Newry.

McGuinness said it has been a very difficult time for the family.

"It has been a very long and arduous day for all of us. It has been very difficult," he said.

"As for Shannon, it hasn't really hit her yet. Her mum was her best friend. They went everywhere together," he explained,

Both funerals are due to take place on Monday.

BBC Northern Ireland's Chris Page who is in Turkey said the suspect had: "told everyone, including his girlfriend, that he was 17 years old, but police sources have told me he actually is older".

Births are registered in a different way in Turkey as in the UK, so it may be difficult to establish his exact age.
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"If he went to juvenile court the sentence he could have expected for a double murder would have been more than 40 years - probably less than 50," Page said.

"If he goes to an adult court, the typical sentence is 36 years per murder, so he could be facing 72 years in jail if he is convicted.

"Turkish people will actually complain that the justice system here is very slow.

"Big legal cases like this typically take two years, maybe even slightly more, so if the suspect is charged as we expect, we could be in for a lengthy trial process.

"It is similar to the UK system in that the defence and prosecution teams are appointed and witnesses are cross-examined, but one of the main major differences is that cases like this are tried before a judge only - not a jury."

The suspect who is also known as Alex had been working at a restaurant in the popular tourist resort of Kusadasi.

The suspect is alleged to have carried out the murders after he was refused permission to marry Shannon.

The two friends had been on vacation in Kusdasi and it is alleged Cetin took took the two women to a secluded wooded area where he murdered them.

Shannon had been on a boat trip when the killings occurred. Upon her return she couldn’t find her mother and alerted the local police.