NI man's extradition approved

Divers found Mr Wallace's severed limbs

A Northern Ireland man suspected of killing a Scottish teenager and dismembering his body must return to the UK to stand trial for murder, a Dutch judge has ruled.

The Court of Justice in The Hague refused an application for an injunction to block the extradition of 37-year-old William Beggs, who faces charges of abduction, murder and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Beggs, who is originally from Moira in County Down, but who lived in Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, has been fighting attempts to extradite him since he was charged with the murder of 18-year-old Barry Wallace in December 1999.

Mr Wallace, also from Kilmarnock, was last seen alive on 5 December 1999 after going to a Christmas party with colleagues from the town's Tesco supermarket.

Barry Wallace had been on a night out

His severed limbs were found by police divers who were on a training exercise in Loch Lomond shortly after his disappearance.

His head was discovered by a woman walking her dog on Barassie Beach, near Troon, Ayrshire.

The Court of Justice in The Hague is due to pass judgement on the final appeal of Beggs against the decision of Dutch justice minister Benk Korthals that he should be sent back to the UK.

The minister upheld a decision by the Supreme Court of the Netherlands to quash Beggs' original appeal against extradition after it was granted by judges in Amsterdam in April last year.

Lawyers for Beggs have argued throughout the series of hearings that "negative" media coverage at the time of Mr Wallace's death would prejudice his chances of receiving a fair trial.

Beggs was already in Holland by the time he was charged with abduction, murder and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He has been held in custody in the De Schans remand centre in Amsterdam since handing himself in to police in the city a few days after Christmas 1999.