Man killed daughters before crashing car
It is believed that Ella, two, and her six-year-old sister, Zoe, were probably killed before 9am at the house at Ballybraher, Ballycotton.
Mr Butler’s wife, Una, had left the house earlier that morning to go to work in Cork city. He was supposed to be minding the children and should have taken Zoe to the local national school in Ballycotton.
Gardaí know that Mr Butler visited a garage near his home at 9am yesterday and purchased €20 worth of petrol, which he put into a container.
They believe he may have doused his Toyota Yaris with the petrol before driving to the “bog road” between Shanagarry and Ballycotton.
There it appears he deliberately drove at high speed into a ditch and the car burst into a fireball. Mr Butler died at the scene.
It is understood he had been suffering from depression and had recently been attending a local doctor.
Motorists came across the accident at 9.45am. Gardaí were quickly at the scene. However, in the interim some locals expressed concern that Mr Butler’s two daughters might have been in the vehicle. After the fire brigade put the blaze out it was ascertained that the children were not inside.
At about 10.15am a neighbour went to the family home and discovered the bodies of the children in a room in the bungalow.
Minutes later Gardaí arrived at the scene and sealed off the area. They also sealed off the road where the Toyota Yaris had crashed.
Dr Hugh Doran pronounced the two children dead and the last rites were administered by local priest Fr Aidan Crowley.
Gardaí said they wouldn’t comment on speculation that the little girls had been strangled.
Superintendent Flor Horan said they would have to await the outcome of post-mortem examinations last night to determine the exact cause of death.
State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy together with Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster visited the house shortly after 5pm where they carried out a preliminary examination of the girls’ bodies.
Meanwhile, Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis carried out a preliminary examination of the remains of Mr Butler at the scene of the crash.
All three bodies were later removed to Cork University Hospital where full post-mortem examinations were conducted last night.
Superintendent Horan said that more than 40 gardaí were working on the case and they had set up a special incident room at Midleton Garda Station.
“We are carrying out house-to-house inquiries in the area and also taking a number of witness statements,” Supt Horan said.
He said experts were combing the house and crash scene investigators were concentrating on the area where Mr Butler’s car crashed and burst into flames.
“We are very anxious to trace where Mr Butler was between the time he purchased the petrol at 9am and the time of the crash at 9.45am,” Supt Horan said.
Anybody with information is asked to contact Midleton Garda Station at 021-4621550.
JOHN BUTLER was originally from Cobh and was a noted GAA player.
He played hurling and football for a number of years with Cobh GAA Club and played football with the Imokilly divisional side.
The 43-year-old worked in Irish Steel and then with Irish Ispat in Haulbowline.
He father died several years ago, but he is survived by his mother and brothers and sisters.
He moved to Ballycotton a number of years ago after marrying Una Riordan.
The couple built a new bungalow at Ballybraher, on the cliffs overlooking Ballycotton harbour where they were raising their two children, Ella, two, and Zoe, six. He worked as a builder and of late was doing some odd jobs.
His wife Una, 40, works for the Revenue Commissioners in Cork city.
Many of her family are involved in fishing and are known throughout east Cork and further afield.
Her sister, Bríd O’Shea, and husband, Michael, run the Schooner bar, restaurant and guesthouse in Ballycotton’s main street.
Una’s father, Don Riordan, has retired from the fishing industry, but some of her brothers continue the family tradition.
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