Shirley Valentine
The Ulster woman found murdered in Athens had been living a dream ‘Shirley Valentine’ life which ended in a Greek tragedy.
The 48-year-old, named locally as Lorna Boyle, came originally from Lisnaskea Co Fermanagh but had left her husband five years ago to move in with her Greek lover.
It’s understood she met the man – who is now the main suspect in her murder – while she had been on holiday to Greece.
The body of the mother-of three was discovered last Sunday after her partner contacted the police - seemingly three weeks after she had died.
Neighbours had complained about a smell coming from the apartment which her partner had blamed on a problem with the plumbing.
Police sources have said they believe Mrs Boyle may have been dead for three weeks or more.
Her wounds were described as being, “consistent with being struck by a sharp-edged object”.
Greek police have arrested her 52-year-old partner who neighbours say she had heated arguments with on a regular basis.
It has also been claimed locally that the man had a notoriously bad temper and also suffered from “psychological problems”.
Last night sources in Lisnaskea told the Sunday World the family were “devastated” at what had happened.
“It’s tragic for her husband and three kids,” said a source.
“Lorna was estranged from her husband after meeting a Greek man while on holiday years ago.
“Everyone called her Shirley Valentine after the film. She has been living out there for years. The circumstances of her death have devastated her family.”
It’s not known if the family will travel out to Athens where Greek police were continuing their investigations and there was no indication when her body would be returned to Ireland.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said: “We are aware of the case and the department is providing consular assistance to the woman’s family.”
Sinn Féin councillor Brian McCaffrey, who is from Roslea, said her family was liaising with the Irish embassy.
“They wish to express their gratitude to the embassy staff and the staff at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin for their continuing assistance,” he said.
The PSNI said they had not been asked to get involved in any investigation at this stage.
Reports suggested Mrs Boyle had been working in various bars. She shared the apartment where she was found with her partner in the Ambelokipi area of central Athens.
Some reports in Athens suggested the couple were actually married but that has not been confirmed.
Police had been called by local residents who complained of a strange smell coming from the flat.
In a statement, Greek police said they found the woman on a bed in the apartment after the suspect eventually contacted them on Sunday.
The man, who told officers at the scene he did not kill the woman, was arrested that night.
A police source said that the woman was dead for three weeks and that she had been killed during a violent argument in the home.
Neighbours told local media outlets that they had complained about a smell from that flat but they were told by the man living there that he had plumbing problems.
A Greek newspaper reported that when police officers entered the flat complex, they found the woman’s body on the bed in a first floor flat.
A man in the flat shouted to the police not to kill him.
A toxicology report was being prepared last night.
It has been reported that the man stayed close to the body throughout the time after the death, even though it had started decomposing.
The manager of the apartment complex said the couple had been living in the rented flat for two years. The suspect is reported to have faced a prosecutor on Wednesday and didn’t release any of his personal details.
The suspect is known to have psychological problems, according to an Athens newspaper, and had displayed aggressive behaviour in the past, but the report noted that no one had believed that it would reach this point.