Taoiseach Micheál Martin has extended his personal sympathies to the family of Chelsea and Christy Cawley and Lisa Cash following their violent deaths in Tallaght at the weekend.
Speaking at an event in Midelton, Co Cork, Mr Martin said he was shocked and appalled as was the entire country at the death of the teenage girl and her two younger siblings.
“I would like to extend my sympathies to the family of Chelsea, Christy and Lisa – to their mother and all of the family in terms of the terrible tragedy,” Mr Martin said.
“[It was] a very violent incident in Tallaght which has left the entire nation shocked and very, very saddened.”
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Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the crime scene which the Garda first responders met at the Cash-Cawley house was the most challenging he had ever heard of in his long policing career.
“[It was a] most dreadful, traumatic incident leading to the death of two children and a young person, just sincerely, the most dreadful incident,” he said at an event in Dublin on Monday.
“I’ve spoken to some of the guards who initially responded, and it has to be said, it’s just one of the worst incidents that I’ve heard of across my service. We’ve put in place appropriate support for them, but we’d also acknowledge the trauma visited upon the local community and that can’t be underestimated either. We’re very much there to support the community and to offer reassurance.”
[ Suspect in killing of Cash-Cawley siblings previously investigated by gardaíOpens in new window ]
Mr Harris said because a suspect was still being questioned on Monday, he was limited in what he could say, adding the criminal investigation was ongoing.
Lisa Cash (18) and her twin eight-year-old siblings, Chelsea and Christy Cawley, were stabbed at their family home in Tallaght during a violent incident late on Saturday night into Sunday morning.
The twins were thrown out of the upstairs window of the property and gardaí were forced to use a stun gun and other non-lethal weapons to overpower the chief suspect, who barricaded himself into the house.
Mr Harris said neighbours of the Cash-Cawley family reported their concerns very quickly to gardaí, who then responded to the incident rapidly. And while many local people who were on the scene as the incident unfolded had spoken to gardaí, he urged others to come forward.
Gardaí responded at about 12.30am on Sunday and while they forced their way into the house on Rossfield Avenue, in Brookfield, Tallaght and arrested the suspect, the victims were already fatally wounded. Lisa was babysitting the twins for her mother, who was not at home on Saturday night.
A fourth sibling, a 14-year-old boy, managed to escape from the house by jumping out an upstairs window. He injured himself in the process and required hospitalisation, though his injuries were not life-threatening. The children’s mother was also hospitalised but has since been discharged.
The suspect was still being held at Tallaght Garda station on Monday afternoon and his period of detention was due to expire on Monday evening, by which time he must be charged with an offence or released without charge. The man being questioned was known to the family and has come to the attention of gardaí in the past for chaotic and violent crimes.
