‘This is a family’s worst nightmare’

THE family of Sarah Hines, stabbed to death with her two young children and one of her closest friends, spoke yesterday of their worst nightmare.

Sarah, aged 25, along with children Reece, 3, Amy, who was five months old, and friend Alicia Brough, aged 20, were found dead at her rented home at Hazelgrove, Newcastle West on Tuesday.

A man arrested three hours later in Kilkee was yesterday taken to Cork University Hospital under armed guard, for treat- ment for a hand injury.

Sarah was the only girl in a family of eight who live near Feoghanagh about four miles from Newcastle West.

Her brother, Chris Hines, 23, yesterday spoke briefly to the media outside the family home which is located down an isolated country lane.

Obviously distressed and trying to hold back tears, he said: “Sarah was our only sister and she always looked out for us and was a great older sister to her young brothers.”

The other members of the family, Adam 7, Ben 11, Louis 12, Josh 14, Jessie 19, and Damien 22, live with their mother Abina and their stepfather, Peter Rolphe.

Chris said that Sarah was full of life and adored her two children. The man under arrest is the father of her baby Amy.

Chris said: “She always went out of her way to make people happy and she was a very kind and generous person – the best sister any person could have.

“I found out about it yesterday when I was collected from college in Dromcollogher by my dad. I was told they had found the bodies at the house in Newcastle West.

“My mother is very upset. Her daughter and grandkids have been murdered. It is a family’s worst nightmare.

“Sarah moved to New- castle West two months ago and she lived here at home before then. She always had the ambition to be a DJ as she loved all types of music and was also very good at art.”

Meanwhile, Sarah’s stepfather spoke of the joy her two children had brought the family.

Peter Rolfe said: “When you looked at Amy, she recognised you, she had a lovely smile, she lit up the world.

“And Reece, you could write a book about Reece. He was brilliant and I’d say he had Buddha nature. Every second, every moment was absolutely precious and you just had to live it as much as you can, that was Reece. From the second he got up he was alive and was open to anything. He was a builder, he was a gardener.”

The State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy went to the scene shortly after midday yesterday where she carried out a preliminary examination of the bodies. The bodies were subsequently removed to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital where a full postmortem was carried out by Dr Cassidy. It is expected to confirm that all four died from multiple stab wounds.