There are serious fears of further violence after four members of one family were killed in an arson attack – with the son of one victim saying the petrol bombing was over a €20,000 drug debt.
asserted
bombing → be → debt
Kim English, in her 30s; her husband Philip, in his 50s; and their sons Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died when their home was targeted early on Tuesday morning in the Birchwood estate, 3km from Waterford city centre.
asserted
home → die → centre
Now, Philip's son John James English has revealed his family have been terrorised by gangland figures in the city for years over a drug debt owed by someone else.
asserted
family → reveal → someone
He also told RTÉ that the home of his mother Anne, Philip's ex-wife, was previously targeted in another petrol bomb attack.
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home → tell → attack
Philip and Kim's two other children, Nadia, 14, and Elliot, six, remain in a critical condition in hospital following the deadly blaze which has stunned the nation.
There were emotionally charged scenes at the site of the quadruple murder on Wednesday with over 100 members of the community releasing balloons in honour of the four victims.
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members → remain → victims
Philip's father Paddy broke down in tears as the song You'll Never Walk Alone played from a car stereo as the balloons drifted skywards.
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balloons → break → stereo
A vigil was then held in the nearby Sacred Heart Church where hundreds turned out to pay their respects.
asserted
hundreds → hold → respects
Gardaí investigating the murders believe three brothers, who are connected to a significant organised crime gang, ordered the attack on the family, who, sources stressed, are 'totally innocent people'.
asserted
sources → investigate → family
Kim and Philip died in the blaze in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the Birchwood estate, 3km from Waterford city centre
A burnt-out window in the family home in the Birch Avenue
They believe the family were targeted because a person known to them had racked up the debt.
asserted
person → die → debt
That man has since gone into hiding as gardaí carried out multiple raids across the Waterford area.
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gardaí → go → area
One of the suspects has since left the jurisdiction.
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One → leave → jurisdiction
All three are well known for their involvement with collecting drug debts and carrying out acts of violence and intimidation against those who owe money, and their families.
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who → collect → money
During searches, gardaí seized cars as well as phones and other electronic devices.
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gardaí → seize → cars
Officers are also examining whether a woman who is known to them drove to the scene with another individual who carried out the attack.
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who → examine → attack
Gardaí, in a statement, said there are people who know who carried out the attack and urged them to come forward.
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who → say → them
Security sources explained that officers are fearful that there could be more violence after the attack on the innocent family.
uncertain
officers → explain → family
A senior source explained: 'I want there to be no doubt whatsoever here.
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I → explain → ?
The people who were killed were completely innocent.
'
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who → kill → ?
They were targeted because they knew someone who had owed them money for quite some time.
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who → target → time
The last thing gardaí want to see is more violence but you've to remember tensions are very high right now.
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tensions → want → ?
We have so many people grieving and they're angry, and rightly so.
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they → have → ?
'But gardaí have seen before how something of this scale can lead to more bloodshed.'
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something → see → bloodshed
On Wednesday afternoon, James English, an uncle of Philip, said: 'Well, whoever knows, you'd want to turn up and own up whoever's done it.
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whoever → say → it
At the end of the day, we have a lot of the family now wiped out.
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lot → have → family
'Please, whoever's done it, own up.
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whoever → do → it
Be a man and own up for what you have done.'
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you → own → what
He said Nadia and Elliot are 'not good' in hospital.
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Nadia → say → hospital
The English family have endured a campaign of intimidation for years at the hands of a gang of thugs.
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family → endure → thugs
Only three weeks before the fatal attack, the family car had been targeted with a petrol bomb.
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car → target → bomb
Nobody was injured in that incident.
asserted
Nobody → injure → incident
Speaking at the balloon release, Philip's ex-wife Anne said they were a happy family.
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they → speak → release
I'm lost and I'm going to be lost without them,' she said.
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she → lose → them
I heard when I got a phone call from one of my family and I jumped out of my bed.
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I → hear → bed
Ray Power, who is Philip's cousin, urged the younger people of Waterford not to get caught up in the criminal lifestyle.
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who → urge → lifestyle
He described the rampant drug use in the city as a 'demon' which comes into homes and destroys them.
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which → describe → them
He said: 'You'd be better off going off into a different country, going off and enjoying life, and enjoying yourself instead of looking up to that [dealers], because they'll use you.
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they → say → you
They don't care about you.'
asserted
They → care → you
In the latest Garda statement regarding the murders, a spokesman said: 'The investigation is intense in nature and very active with multiple searches being carried out across a number of premises in Waterford city yesterday evening.
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searches → regard → city
A number of electronic devices and vehicles have been seized which are now subject of technical examination.
asserted
which → seize → examination
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