Arrest follows 2019 discovery of teenager’s body in burning car

Postmortem found Caoimhin Cassidy was most likely still alive when blaze started

Fairview Road in the Galliagh area of Derry, where the body of Caoimhin Cassidy (18) was found inside a burning car in June 2019. Photograph: Google Street View
Fairview Road in the Galliagh area of Derry, where the body of Caoimhin Cassidy (18) was found inside a burning car in June 2019. Photograph: Google Street View

Detectives investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a teenager in a car fire in Derry in 2019 have made an arrest.

A 31-year-old man is being held on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of Caoimhin Cassidy and is being questioned by detectives at Musgrave's Serious Crime Suite.

Shortly after 4am on June 1st, 2019, emergency services responded to the report of a Red Mazda on fire on Fairview Road in the Galliagh area of Derry.

Dealing with the blaze, responders discovered the body of 18-year-old Mr Cassidy inside the vehicle.

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A postmortem determined Caoimhin was not seriously injured as a result of a crash and had most likely been still alive when the blaze started.

Det Insp Michael Winters said: "It has been almost three years since Caoimhin died and, understandably, his family want to know what happened to him.

“We believe Caoimhin was not travelling alone in the red Mazda, that other people were with him.

“I am appealing to anyone who has information, or if you know something, I would ask you to do the right thing and tell us.” – PA