Two arrested after Waterford petrol bomb attack kills four family members
Kim and Philip English, along with their sons Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died in a fire at their home in Waterford after an attack involving a petrol bomb. Their children Nadia, 14, and Elliot, six, remain critically ill in hospital. The investigation matters because Gardaí are examining whether the attack was commissioned by criminal figures amid a history of threats linked to a drug debt.
A man in his 20s, reportedly released from prison in recent months after a burglary conviction, and a woman in her 30s were arrested; Gardaí suspect she drove the vehicle. Investigators believe the family’s electric car was hit, igniting a fire, and are examining CCTV and items seized in raids. The family had reportedly faced threats over a £17,000 debt owed by someone known to them, and their car had been targeted three weeks earlier.
- Four members of the English family died in a Waterford house fire.
- Two people have been arrested as Gardaí investigate a suspected hired attack.
- Two children remain critically ill; the family had faced earlier threats.
New here? Start with this
Waterford is a city in south-east Ireland, where the national police service is called An Garda Síochána, or Gardaí. A petrol bomb is a homemade incendiary weapon that can start a fast-spreading fire, especially when it strikes a vehicle or building.
The investigation is looking at whether the attack was connected to threats over a drug debt reportedly owed by someone known to the family. Police are examining whether other people may have arranged or helped carry it out, as well as evidence such as CCTV and items seized during searches.
The case matters because investigators are considering whether criminal networks were involved in an attack on a family home. Establishing what happened and whether there was a wider motive will shape any charges and the investigation that follows.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Man arrested over arson attack that killed family ‘was recently released from prison and is believed to have worked for Traveller gang’”.