THE mother of Lu Na McKinney, the mother of two whose husband is accused of murdering her during a family boating holiday at Lough Erne, a charge to which he pleads not guilty, has described her daughter as being "very happy" and that she'd no worries about her mental or physical health.

A statement from 35-year-old Lu Na's mother was read to Dungannon Crown Court on Friday, where 44-year-old Stephen McKinney has been on trial for more than six weeks now accused of killing her during the Lough Erne cruise in April 2017.

In the statement about her only child, Lu Na was also described as having been a "good child, intelligent, hard working ... an independent girl", and while living most of their married life in China, "Stephen had a good income, giving the family a very good life".

Lu Na's mother said when the family returned to Ireland for their children's education, they often chatted on the internet or by 'WeChat' and her daughter told her she was "very happy living there and had no worries, and that living there was a good environment and very stable for their children".

"I had no worries about Lu Na's mental or physical health," read the statement.

She also revealed the last time she'd contacted Lu Na was on April 12, 2017, the day before her daughter's body was pulled from the upper Fermanagh lough near Devenish Island, where the family had moored their hire cruiser.

However, she said she was unaware the family were on a "river boat trip" as her daughter had only said they were "at the sea side", and only learned of the cruise when her sister told her of the tragedy.

In the statement, she described how her sister, fearing she might not be able to bear "the bad news", told her of her daughter's death "bit by bit, very slowly".

A set of agreed facts from a statement by a cousin of Lu Na was also read to the jury of eight men and four women in which she said she had asked the two McKinney children what had happened that night, only to be told "they were both fast asleep".

At the start of the latest proceedings, a minute's silence was held as a mark of respect for junior defence counsel, Martin McCann, who has died suddenly.

Trial judge Madam Justice McBride – who explained to the jury they had not previously sat, to enable her and counsel to attend his funeral – offered the court's sympathy to Mr. McCann's wife and family.

The jury also heard that evidence from more than 60 other witnesses was no longer required in the case.

The jury was subsequently sent away until at least Wednesday of next week while legal matters were to be dealt with.