Family speak of grief after toddler's death

The family of a baby girl murdered in an allegedly horrific assault tonight spoke of their unbearable grief.

Millie Martin, a 15-month-old toddler, died after an attack at a house in Glebe Park in Enniskillen in the North.

As detectives were handed more time to question a man about the killing, the baby’s family said they were numb with pain at the loss of their “darling little angel”.

In a statement, they said: “We are deeply heartbroken by the death of our beautiful little Millie.

“The entire close-knit family are numb with pain – we simply can’t believe that our loving, darling little angel is gone.”

Appealing for privacy to cope with their grief, they said no words could properly describe the distress they are going through.

“Millie was our beautiful and precious little girl and we feel blessed to have been able to share that short life,” the statement said.

“She lit up our lives and brought us endless joy.

“We will never, ever forget you, Millie but know that you are in the safe arms of Jesus.”

Investigators have refused to disclose the results of post-mortem tests on the little girl’s body.

A PSNI spokeswoman said they were being withheld for operational reasons.

A 30-year-old man was arrested as part of their investigation.

After an application to Omagh court this morning, officers from the PSNI’s serious crime unit were granted an extra 36 hours to question him.

The house at Glebe Park, off the Old Tempo Road, in the Chanterhill area of Enniskillen remains sealed off for technical examination by forensic experts.

The child was first admitted to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen on Thursday night before being transferred to Belfast.

She died in intensive care at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Western Health Trust staff are assisting police.

SDLP Assembly member Tommy Gallagher (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) said: “My thoughts go out to the family. There is a great sense of shock and anger about this. The whole thing is playing out very badly.”

Glebe Park is a residential area of the Co Fermanagh lakeside town on the road to Tempo.