A MAN arrested in Derry last week has been charged with murdering his wife.
Stephen McKinney has been in custody at Strand Road police in Derry since late last week where he was being questioned by detectives from the PSNI’s Major Investigation team probing the murder of his wife Lu Na McKinney.
Lu Na McKinney, aged 35, and living in Convoy, was in a hired cruiser in Co Fermanagh with her husband and their two young children when the incident happened early in the morning last April.
The boat was moored at Devenish Island, a popular visitor attraction near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.
Emergency services found her body but intensive attempts to resuscitate her failed.
The PSNI had been working with the Garda in the Republic to investigate the death.
After a review of the circumstances surrounding her death, police arrested her 41-year-old husband Stephen McKinney at a house in Derry on Thursday on suspicion of her murder.
Major Investigation Team detectives went to Derry courthouse around 9 pm on Friday night to make an application to a county court judge for an extension to his detention.
After a short court hearing during which the suspect was present, MIT detectives were granted a further 36 hours to question the suspect.
He was taken by handcuffs and whisked back to the PACE custody suite at Strand Road police station for further questioning,
On Sunday morning, McKinney was taken to Omagh Courthouse where a further extension to his detention was granted.
He was then taken by car back to Strand Road police station for further questioning.
In a statement this afternoon, the PSNI said: “Detectives have charged a 41-year-old man with the murder of Lu Na McKinney in Fermanagh earlier this year.
“The male has also been charged with Possession of a Class C controlled drug.
“He will appear in Omagh Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 5th December).
“As is normal procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the PPS.”