THE wife of murder victim Farah Swaleh Noor, whose headless torso was found in the Royal Canal four years ago, has been invited to Ireland to attend a compensation hearing after his death, but says she cannot afford to travel.

Speaking from her home in Kenya, Husna Mohamed Said told the Sunday Tribune that she welcomed last week's guilty plea by Kathleen Mulhall, the final chapter in the macabre story of his death in March, 2005.

Mulhall pleaded guilty on Monday to concealing her husband's murder. She will be sentenced in May.

But Husna added: "Even if I am happy, nothing can bring Farah back, it doesn't make any sense. Farah will never be back."

Mulhall's two daughters Linda and Charlotte – dubbed the 'Scissor Sisters' – have already been convicted on charges relating to Noor's death. Charlotte was convicted of his murder and handed a life sentence while Linda was convicted of manslaughter and given 15 years.

The violent crime generated enormous publicity when Noor's headless torso was pulled from Dublin's Royal canal. His head and severed penis were never recovered.

"They (the Mulhalls) will never be happy also because they sleep in prison.

"They deserve it. They deserve it," said Husna.

"Why did they kill him? People take drugs but they don't kill each other. There is a big reason behind that; I don't know what it is."

Husna says she has filled out forms sent to her from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal in Dublin established to consider applications from people who "suffer a personal injury or death as a result of a crime of violence".

Meanwhile, a former work colleague of Noor's told the Sunday Tribune that he was remembered by his colleagues and employers as a social, outgoing man whose fate had come as a shock.

The colleague, who asked not to be named, worked at Vineyard Recruitment in or around 2000. The company had found work for Noor, generally packing boxes in factories.

"Everyone in the office felt that he was a lovely guy and no one could get their heads around how he was supposed to be abusive to women and everything," he said.