Police Appeal For Unidentified Men In Double Fatal Fire

As the funerals took place today of the mother and daughter who died in a malicious house fire in Dungannon earlier this month, police issued an appeal about two unidentified men seen in the area around the time of the blaze.

Requiem Mass for 71 year old Betty McGirr and her 38 year old daughter, Deirdre, was celebrated in St Malachy’s Church, Edendork, today following the fatal fire at Dunlea Vale on Saturday 14 April.

Detectives investigating the cause of the fire want to identify two men:

•The first man was seen in Dunlea Vale around 9.30-10pm on Saturday 14th. He is about five ft eight ins tall, slim, with swarthy skin and dark around the eyes. He is in his early 30s and was wearing a black hoodie with a white motif on the front. The hoodie was pulled up.

•The second man was seen at around 2am on Sunday 15th in the same Dunlea Vale area talking on a mobile phone. He is about six ft tall, slim, with dark skin and thickish black hair. He was wearing a light grey sweater or hoodie-type top and dark coloured bottoms. He is around 30.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Richard Harkness, said: "We need these men to identify themselves to police so they can be eliminated from our enquiries. We have had a significant response from the community to our appeals for information but our picture is not completely clear.

"We are still working to piece together the events of the night of Saturday 14 April. And we are particularly interested in talking to anyone in the Dunlea Vale and Dunavon areas who has had their wheelie bins interfered with or set on fire in the past two years or has seen young people starting fires.

"I would ask anyone in the area who knows anything about what happened to come and talk to us. Anyone who can provide information is asked to contact the Special Incident Room at Dungannon police station on 028 8775 0559. Alternatively, people can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

(CD/GK)