Clare town numbed after ‘tragic domestic incident’

The town of Kildysart had seen its share of traffic-related tragedies before the violent double death of a South African couple.

But the south Clare town was left numbed by Wednesday’s stabbings which will see two young girls, thousands of miles from their homeland, grow up without their parents.

Cornelius Billing, 44, and wife Angelique Booysen-Billing, 27, died after violent incidents at their rented flat on Main St, Kildysart.

The pair sustained traumatic injuries following an apparent domestic incident in their home. It is understood there had been incidents at the property previously.

Gardaí described the deaths as a “tragic domestic incident that went horribly and tragically wrong”. Investigators confirmed they are not seeking any third party.

According to one local, the couple were due to attend a court hearing today. Mrs Booysen-Billing, it emerged, wanted to return to South Africa.

The drama inside the flat unfolded while emergency services were dealing with a shop fire on the street outside.

Fire crews and gardaí had been called to the Main St blaze around 7.40pm when Mrs Booysen-Billing stumbled out of her home. It is understood one of her children had been with her.

One firefighter, gathering additional equipment at the fire tender to fight the blaze, was first to see the gravely injured woman. He dropped what he was doing and ran to her assistance thinking she had suffered a heart attack or other episode.

He saw the woman had a deep gash to her chest and called on a colleague to alert the ambulance service.

Other fire personnel grabbed oxygen tanks, medical bags, and an automated external defibrillator from their truck and ran to assist.

While some firefighters continued to fight the blaze, others commenced efforts to resuscitate the victim. Additional units of the fire brigade from Kilrush were tasked to deal with the fire as the Ennis crew dealt with the casualties.

The young child ran back into the flat screaming and was followed by a garda who discovered, upstairs, a badly wounded man. Efforts were also made to resuscitate him.

The dying woman was believed to have told emergency workers her husband had stabbed her. It’s understood the dying man also spoke to gardaí.

The dead woman was from Rietkol in the municipality of Mpumalanga in South Africa. The family moved to Clare last March but had struggled financially. The couple had two children, aaged 4 and 2.

Dr Michael Curtis, the deputy state pathologist, conducted preliminary examinations at the scene before the bodies were removed by separate hearses to the mortuary at University Hospital Limerick.

A representative of the South African consulate in Dublin also visited the scene. It is understood she collected the victims’ passport.

The diplomat also travelled to visit Mr Billing’s sister who lives near the village of Labasheeda, 12km from Kildysart.

Crime scene investigators examined two areas — the street where Mrs Booysen-Billing collapsed and died, and the interior of the flat.

An incident room has been set up at Kilrush Garda Station. Gardaí yesterday carried out door-to-door inquiries and wish to speak to anyone who was in the Main St in Kildysart between 6pm and 7.30pm on Wednesday to contact them locally on 065 6832102, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or at any Garda station.

Gardaí are initially focusing inquiries on how the stabbings occurred, including if one of the deaths was a suicide.

While initially unaware there was a second victim inside the flat, fire crews were concerned an assailant was still in the area and feared they would also be stabbed.

One emergency worker said: “It was a bloodbath, an absolute bloodbath. We know that going to a call you never know what to expect but this was absolutely bizarre. This was a bit surreal. One minute you’re dealing with a fire, a normal call, and then all hell breaks loose.”