The Irish attorney who represented murder victim Baiba Saulīte, the 28-year-old immigrant Latvian mother of two who was gunned down in November 2006, has expressed unhappiness that her suspected killer will not be charged.
John Hennessy, a solicitor in the Dublin suburb of Swords, told Irish newspaper The Herald that he is “bitterly disappointed” the Director of Public Prosecutions will not bring charges. Hennessy represented Saulīte in her custody battle before she was killed.
Saulīte was shot twice on Nov. 19, 2006, as she chatted with friends in the doorway of her home in Swords. Her two sons were in an upstairs bedroom at the time.
According to Irish media reports, police suspected Saulīte was a victim of a murder for hire organized by her estranged husband, Hassan Hassan. At the time of the murder, he was serving a four-year sentence for his role in a stolen car ring.
The murder remains unsolved, despite several individuals having been detained. A year after Saulīte’s death, Irish police issued a renewed appeal for information.
In January, the Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to prosecute a man suspected of arranging the murder, the Irish Examiner reported Jan. 30. However, Irish police have not closed their file, according to the newspaper.
Hennessy was threatened after Saulīte’s murder and his home was firebombed. He continues to receive police protection.
The solicitor has been a vocal critic of the role of criminal gangs in Ireland, the Herald reported Feb. 5.
Latvian immigrant Baiba Saulīte, seen holding photos of her sons, was murdered November 2006 at her home in a Dublin suburb.
