Injured brothers to be quizzed over arson

FOUR brothers who turned up at Louth Hospital, Dundalk, suffering from severe burns, are to be interviewed by gardaí in connection with the arson attack on an Armagh couple in their home.

The four men, aged from 24 to 34, were admitted to the hospital in the early hours of yesterday morning. Three of them were transferred to the serious burns unit at St James’ Hospital in Dublin yesterday.

The men are expected to be questioned in connection with an attack on a Co Antrim couple on Monday night.

Self-styled vigilantes were yesterday blamed for setting fire to the couple and leaving the woman critically ill.

A gang of men burst in and doused them with flammable liquid before setting their home alight.

The attack happened on Monday night on a road close to a primary school between Markethill and Keady in Co Armagh.

The 21-year-old woman’s condition in hospital is described as “critical”. The man, aged 33, and believed to be the chief target, is “serious but stable”.

As forensic experts carried out a full examination of the damaged house at Foley Road, detectives said they were following a definite line of inquiry.

A sectarian or racist motive has been ruled out.

SDLP councillor Sharon Haughey, who lives in the area, said the attack was absolutely barbaric and local people were shocked.

She added: “Whatever reason those responsible try to use as a justification for this attack, we must be very clear that no one has the right to act as judge, jury and prosecutor by taking the law into their own hands.”

Dominic Bradley, the Newry and Armagh SDLP member of the suspended Northern Ireland Assembly, said the attack was ferocious in intent and would send shivers down people’s spines.

An elderly neighbour spoke of her horror as she saw flames shooting from the house.

“I am here 50 years and I have never seen anything like it, to tell the truth,” she said.

She said the man in the house was Thomas O’Hare, who was unemployed and living with his partner.

She said he had been married with two children and his wife had moved out around three years ago and still lived nearby.

Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy said the attack in his constituency was unacceptable.

“Whatever the motivation, let me make it clear that this sort of behaviour is wrong, unacceptable and has caused anger within the local community,” the Newry and Armagh MP said.

Ulster Unionist deputy leader Danny Kennedy described the attack as barbaric.