Further arrests are expected in connection to the killing of the English family, a local journalist has said.
On Tuesday, Philip and Kim English died after an arson attack on their home in Waterford City. Two of their children, Jayden and Callum, were also killed in the attack, while two other children remain in a critical condition in Crumlin Hospital.
Yesterday afternoon, Gardaí announced that a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s were arrested in Waterford on suspicion of murder.
On Newstalk Breakfast, broadcaster Damien Tiernan said the case is the most serious handled by Waterford Gardaí in recent years.
“They're being held under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act,” he explained.
“The reason why that's important is that they can be detained for up to seven days, [this is] part of one of the biggest murder investigations in years in the Southeast.
“There's teams of local detectives working with specialists, interviewers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Gardaí aren't ruling out further arrests.
“Thousands of hours of CCTV footage have already been gone through from across the city and beyond.”
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Waterford arson investigation
Mr Tiernan continued that while further arrests are expected, “nobody knows” exactly what is going to happen.
“The man and the woman arrested are believed to be in the lower ranks of the criminal gang, which carried out this murderous attack,” he said.
“They were the first people to have been arrested as part of this very active and intensive investigation.
“And the victims had no involvement whatsoever in drugs or crime, but the families say they were attacked because someone known to them owed money for drugs.”
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Mr Tiernan first met Mr English several years ago through his work as a journalist and described him as a “big, wonderful man with a big smile”, who had been “through a lot” in his life.
The funeral for all four deceased members of the English family will take place on Monday, with closed coffins at Waterford’s Sacred Heart Church.
“On Sunday afternoon, family members will lie in repose from two to five that afternoon,” Mr Tiernan said.
“Requiem Mass will be held the following day, Monday at one o'clock.”
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A vigil was held in Waterford on Wednesday, in which prayers were said for the English family and balloons were released.
However, Mr Tiernan described the atmosphere in the city as “just horrendous” and recounted a conversation he had at a fishmonger’s.
“One of the ladies said to me, there's a gloom over the city,” he recalled.
“There's a gloom when people come into shops; I've never felt it before in all the stories I've done.
“That's partly because, obviously, of what happened, but also because of the English family.
“As I said, I knew [Philip] a number of years, he would have been very well known, very well liked, not involved in criminality whatsoever.
“A big, lovable sort of a guy, a real happy smile on his face.”
Anyone with any information has been asked to contact Waterford Garda Station.
People wishing to contribute to the family's funeral costs can do so here.
