Uomo e donna arrestati per l'attentato a Waterford conoscevano la famiglia che era stata presa di mira.

Man and woman arrested over Waterford petrol bombing knew family that was targeted Gardaí have arrested a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s in connection with the fatal arson attack on a house in Waterford city. The attack occurred early on Tuesday morning and resulted in the deaths of Philip and Kim English and their two sons, Callum (12) and Jayden (9). Two other children, a 14-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy, were rescued by firefighters but remain critically ill in hospital. The suspects are being questioned on Thursday night and are suspected of being linked to a family-based Waterford drugs gang that gardaí believe ordered the attack. They are not related to the English family but are thought to have been centrally involved in the attack and present at the time. Both are detained under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007, allowing them to be held for up to seven days without charge. The attack was part of a campaign of intimidation targeting a €20,000 drugs debt owed by an associate of Philip English, who was not involved in crime. The house at Birch Avenue in the Birchwood estate remains a crime scene and is undergoing a technical examination. Post-mortems on the four victims have been completed, but results are not yet released for operational reasons. Gardaí continue to seek information from the public, appealing to anyone who witnessed the attack or has relevant information to come forward. They asked for anyone who was in the area between 4.30am and 5.30am on Tuesday to contact them, particularly those with dashcam footage or images. A number of vehicles, phones and laptops have been seized during searches across the city. Another vehicle was reportedly seized on Wednesday, although this has not been officially confirmed. Sinn Féin councillor John Hearne compared the impact of the fire to the 1981 Stardust nightclub tragedy in Dublin, calling for stronger action against such crimes. He described the community’s hatred for those responsible and urged people not to pay drug dealers, warning it leads to a "miserable life." He noted that gardaí had successfully tracked and arrested suspects in similar cases. The family’s joint funeral is scheduled for Monday at the Sacred Heart Church in the Folly, followed by burial at Kilbarry Cemetery. The victims had no involvement in drugs or crime, according to their family, but were targeted due to a debt owed by someone connected to them. Gardaí have continued efforts to locate a vehicle of interest linked to the case and have conducted multiple searches in the area. Those wishing to provide information can contact the garda investigation team at Waterford garda station, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, or any garda station. The investigation is ongoing, with gardaí indicating further arrests may occur. The suspects are being questioned about their alleged role in assisting a crime gang in the commission of the attack.