Families of Jastine Valdez and her killer meet to comfort each other

The families of murdered Filipino student Jastine Valdez and her killer Mark Hennessy met to exchange condolences, it has emerged.

Ms Valdez (24) was abducted on May 20th while walking along the roadside near her home in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, and murdered shortly afterwards.

Her body was found the following Monday, near Puck’s Castle Lane, Rathmichael in south Dublin.

Her abductor and murderer, Mark Hennessy (40), a father of two who lived in Bray, was shot and killed by a Garda detective the day after Ms Valdez was killed.

The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) confirmed Hennessy was shot in the shoulder while sitting in his car at Cherrywood Business Estate, Co Dublin He was believed to have been holding a knife at the time.

The families of Ms Valdez and Mr Hennessy last night issued a short statement, which said: “In the midst of our grief both the Valdez and Hennessy families met on Friday morning.”

"We exchanged sympathies with each other on the tragic circumstances that resulted in the loss of our respective love ones”.

“Both families request privacy at this very difficult time."

The statement was released through the Garda Press Office.

Mr Hennessy’s remains were cremated following a service in Dublin attended by around 100 people.

The body of Ms Valdez reposed at a funeral home in Bray on Friday and Saturday.

Her parents, Teresita and Danillo Valdez, wish to repatriate her remains to the Philippines to be buried.