John Hennessy was accompanied by a garda officer at the Lutheran ceremony in the Mesha Kapi cemetery. The Swords-based lawyer, who fears that his life is in danger, admitted to the Sunday Tribune that he is under constant garda protection.

"I am here to support the family, " he said. "She was a good client and she died under very tragic circumstances. My thoughts are with her and her family at this time."

Hennessy, who was acting on behalf of Saulite in relation to her husband's abduction of her children last year, believes a contract has been put on his life.

He joined her parents, Raitis and Ilze Saulite, her brother, Karlis, family and friends to say a final farewell to the vibrant popular young mother. Hennessy's girlfriend and a garda officer flanked him at all times.

Mourners crowded the small chapel at the Mesha Kapi cemetery where the body of Baiba (28) lay in an open coffin before burial in the adjoining graveyard.

Her two young boys . . . AliAlexandra (5) and Mohammed Rami (3) . . . are in care in Ireland pending a decision about their future custody.

Her estranged husband Hassan Hassan is serving a fouryear sentence for his part in a major fraud operation involving importing stolen cars to the Middle East.

Speaking ahead of yesterday's funeral ceremony, Saulite's brother Karlis hit out at the Irish authorities for their failure to react to threats to his sister's life.

"The fact is that Baiba was under threat and everyone knew it . . . that someone may try to kill her. I can't imagine why nothing was done earlier. I know the police are now working at full speed, but in this day, in the 21st century, this kind of thing just doesn't make sense, " he said.

Karlis said it was a source of sorrow for his family that Baiba's sons could not be at their mother's funeral. And he revealed that Baiba's family . . . her parents are dentists based in Riga . . . were aware that she was experiencing problems in her domestic life.

"She didn't tell me many things about it. Maybe she was trying to shield me. This is very dirty. There was somebody who ordered this murder and it is a sign of total weakness because normally a man would not harm a woman, " he said.

Hassan Hassan's sister Rawaa, who lives in Dublin, told the Sunday Tribune yesterday that her family loved Baiba and spoke of her concern for the couple's two young children. She revealed that she has still not told her mother that Baiba is dead.

"She has no idea. It would kill her. I was not able to go to [Baiba's] funeral. Everyone thinks Hassan killed her.

There is no way I could go, " she said. " I know my brother had problems in the past, but he is not a killer."

Last week a court in Dublin heard that Hennessy's fear for his life is connected to Saulite's Lebanese-born husband Hassan.

An arson attack was carried out on Hennessy's home earlier this year and the solicitor believed a contract had been taken out on his life, Sergeant Liam Hughes told the court. Baiba Saulite's car was similarly targeted in an arson attack six weeks ago.