Mark Nash leaving the court in Dublin yesterday

A MAN was charged yesterday with the murder of two women in Grangegorman, Dublin more than 12 years ago.


Mark Nash (36) appeared before Dublin District Court yesterday morning where he was formally charged with the double murder.


Sylvia Shields and Mary Callinan were found stabbed to death in their beds in sheltered accommodation in 1997.


Appearing before judge Patrick Clyne just before 11am, Nash was wearing a black fleece top, blue jumper and jeans. Superintendent Padraig Kennedy told the court he met the defendant, who is originally from Huddersfield in the UK, at the Bridewell garda station by arrangement yesterday morning.


At 9.52am he was formally arrested and charged with two counts of murder. In response to both charges, Nash said he had nothing to say. Following a brief exchange with Clyne, Nash was remanded to appear at Cloverhill District Court next Friday at 10.30am.


The charges come following a murder investigation that has lasted well over a decade. Sylvia Shields was 58 years old when she was found dead at her community care home adjacent to St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospital, Grangegorman on 7 March 1997. Her housemate Mary Callinan was 61.


In 2002 Shields' sister Stella Nolan called for a full inquiry into the deaths in the wake of their inquest.


She described her sister as "a lovely girl" but said she was disgusted a jury in the inquest did not recommend an inquiry into the deaths. Shields and Callinan were described at the time as being low-dependence psychiatric patients.


The joint inquest was open­ed in March 1998 but was adjourned more than 20 times before its conclusion in 2002.


The then state pathologist John Harbison said the deaths had been caused by "shock and haemorrhage" brought on by multiple stab wounds and sharp weapon injuries. Anne Lynch, who also lived in the house, discovered the bodies and raised the alarm.


She had spoken to the women on the night before their death and woke up the following morning to find some items in the house thrown around the place before discovering the women's remains.