john-connor
November 12th, 2012, 05:55 AM
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/i-cant-visit-nicolas-grave-says-her-father-213574.html I can’t visit Nicola’s grave, says her father
By David Looby
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The father of slain Irishwoman Nicola Furlong spoke of his anguish at her death, saying he is unable to visit her grave or disturb her bedroom.
"I have gone into her bedroom to hoover but nothing has been touched. Even her Easter eggs are still there," Andrew Furlong said yesterday after being told that a March 4 murder trial date has been set for Richard Hinds, a 19-year-old musician from the US. He confessed to strangling the DCU student but said he didn’t mean to kill her.
Nicola, a 21-year-old student at DCU, who was studying in Japan, was found dead in a five-star hotel in Tokyo on May 24.
In July, a Japanese court recommended a criminal trial for Hinds, who could face life imprisonment if convicted. Three judges ruled after hearing impact statements from the Furlong family and police reports detailing the circumstances surrounding the death.
Their decision is thought to have hinged around police toxicology reports on Nicola. It is believed her drink may have been spiked after she attended a concert in the city that night with a friend from Wexford.
The Curracloe woman’s family were initially led to believe the trial might take place late this year. Nicola’s father Andrew said he only formally received a letter confirming the dates on Tuesday last week.
The decision was reached at a meeting between the prosecution and defence teams in mid-October.
Mr Furlong said: "We will have to get past her birthday on Dec 17 and Christmas. We have to make arrangements after."
A further meeting between the defence and prosecution teams will be held in the middle of this month, but Mr Hinds has maintained his innocence in relation to the murder charge.
Mr Furlong said he will be travelling to Japan with his daughter Andrea and ex-partner Angie in early March, ahead of the trial. He said he still cannot go to his daughter’s grave in Curracloe Cemetery, adding that her bedroom remains exactly the same as when she left it earlier in the year.
"There is funding for the three of us and partners so we’ll have to see. We just want to get over her birthday and Christmas which is going to be hard. We are just about holding up. It’s dragging on and on and there’s nothing we can do about it. I still haven’t been able to go to her grave. I’ve tried three times and it didn’t work.
"When you go to the grave she is there and when you don’t go to the grave you can think she is over in America or Japan or somewhere; anywhere but there. I have gone into her bedroom to hoover but nothing has been touched; even her Easter eggs are still there."
Mr Furlong said the five-month wait for the trial will be difficult for him and the family.
"You would be apprehensive about the trial; you never know about these things; they are going to try to defend him to the last. The police in Japan usually don’t take these cases unless they win. They are very thorough in their investigations," he said.
Mr Furlong attended a mass for Nicola at DCU recently, following which a cherry blossom tree was planted in her honour in a garden on the campus, where she was due to be studying this year. "It was done very well and the students and teachers were great," Mr Furlong said. "People got up and shared their memories of Nicola and told of how much they missed her. It was difficult for me as you’d imagine her up there and it was very difficult for Andrea also. There are no easy times anymore. You try to cope and you go to these events."
He said they will return in spring when the cherry blossom tree is in full bloom with blossoms of Nicola’s favourite colour, pink.
Mr Furlong once again thanked everyone who contributed to the fundraising effort to finance their trip to Japan.
"We got great support. We can’t mention names because there were so many people who chipped in. We hope when it’s all over to do something in her name with whatever is left."
By David Looby
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The father of slain Irishwoman Nicola Furlong spoke of his anguish at her death, saying he is unable to visit her grave or disturb her bedroom.
"I have gone into her bedroom to hoover but nothing has been touched. Even her Easter eggs are still there," Andrew Furlong said yesterday after being told that a March 4 murder trial date has been set for Richard Hinds, a 19-year-old musician from the US. He confessed to strangling the DCU student but said he didn’t mean to kill her.
Nicola, a 21-year-old student at DCU, who was studying in Japan, was found dead in a five-star hotel in Tokyo on May 24.
In July, a Japanese court recommended a criminal trial for Hinds, who could face life imprisonment if convicted. Three judges ruled after hearing impact statements from the Furlong family and police reports detailing the circumstances surrounding the death.
Their decision is thought to have hinged around police toxicology reports on Nicola. It is believed her drink may have been spiked after she attended a concert in the city that night with a friend from Wexford.
The Curracloe woman’s family were initially led to believe the trial might take place late this year. Nicola’s father Andrew said he only formally received a letter confirming the dates on Tuesday last week.
The decision was reached at a meeting between the prosecution and defence teams in mid-October.
Mr Furlong said: "We will have to get past her birthday on Dec 17 and Christmas. We have to make arrangements after."
A further meeting between the defence and prosecution teams will be held in the middle of this month, but Mr Hinds has maintained his innocence in relation to the murder charge.
Mr Furlong said he will be travelling to Japan with his daughter Andrea and ex-partner Angie in early March, ahead of the trial. He said he still cannot go to his daughter’s grave in Curracloe Cemetery, adding that her bedroom remains exactly the same as when she left it earlier in the year.
"There is funding for the three of us and partners so we’ll have to see. We just want to get over her birthday and Christmas which is going to be hard. We are just about holding up. It’s dragging on and on and there’s nothing we can do about it. I still haven’t been able to go to her grave. I’ve tried three times and it didn’t work.
"When you go to the grave she is there and when you don’t go to the grave you can think she is over in America or Japan or somewhere; anywhere but there. I have gone into her bedroom to hoover but nothing has been touched; even her Easter eggs are still there."
Mr Furlong said the five-month wait for the trial will be difficult for him and the family.
"You would be apprehensive about the trial; you never know about these things; they are going to try to defend him to the last. The police in Japan usually don’t take these cases unless they win. They are very thorough in their investigations," he said.
Mr Furlong attended a mass for Nicola at DCU recently, following which a cherry blossom tree was planted in her honour in a garden on the campus, where she was due to be studying this year. "It was done very well and the students and teachers were great," Mr Furlong said. "People got up and shared their memories of Nicola and told of how much they missed her. It was difficult for me as you’d imagine her up there and it was very difficult for Andrea also. There are no easy times anymore. You try to cope and you go to these events."
He said they will return in spring when the cherry blossom tree is in full bloom with blossoms of Nicola’s favourite colour, pink.
Mr Furlong once again thanked everyone who contributed to the fundraising effort to finance their trip to Japan.
"We got great support. We can’t mention names because there were so many people who chipped in. We hope when it’s all over to do something in her name with whatever is left."