Extradited Romanian man charged with OAP murder

A ROMANIAN man was yesterday charged with murdering Limerick pensioner Rose Hanrahan following his extradition from the UK.

Alexandru Iordache, 45, was extradited to Ireland yesterday afternoon and brought to a special sitting of Limerick District Court last night, where he was charged with murdering the 78-year-old widow, between December 14 and 15, 2017.

Ms Hanrahan was found by relatives in her home at New Road, Thomondgate, Limerick, on December 15, 2017.

Mr Iordache, of Dreptatii Street, Bucharest, Romania, did not speak throughout the ten-minute hearing, at which a Romanian interpreter relayed to him the proceedings. Detective Garda Enda Haugh, of

Mayorstone Garda Station, Co. Limerick, told the court he arrested the accused and charged him with murder at Henry Street station in Limerick city last night.

The accused made no reply to the charge, the court heard. Mr Iordache was yesterday separately charged ‘on foot of 12 outstanding warrants, relating to theft matters’. He made no reply to any of these 12 charges either, the court heard.

Inspector Bill Wallace, of Henry Street station, told the court the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed the accused face ‘trial on indictment’ in relation to all of the charges, including that he face trial on indictment on the murder charge ‘at the Central Criminal Court’.

Judge Marian O’Leary remanded Mr Iordache in custody to appear before Limerick District Court on January 21.