There are serious fears of further violence after four members of one family were killed in an arson attack – with the son of one victim saying the petrol bombing was over a €20,000 drug debt.
Kim English, in her 30s; her husband Philip, in his 50s; and their sons Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died when their home was targeted early on Tuesday morning in the Birchwood estate, 3km from Waterford city centre.
Now, Philip's son John James English has revealed his family have been terrorised by gangland figures in the city for years over a drug debt owed by someone else. He also told RTÉ that the home of his mother Anne, Philip's ex-wife, was previously targeted in another petrol bomb attack.
Philip and Kim's two other children, Nadia, 14, and Elliot, six, remain in a critical condition in hospital following the deadly blaze which has stunned the nation.
There were emotionally charged scenes at the site of the quadruple murder on Wednesday with over 100 members of the community releasing balloons in honour of the four victims.
Philip's father Paddy broke down in tears as the song You'll Never Walk Alone played from a car stereo as the balloons drifted skywards.
A vigil was then held in the nearby Sacred Heart Church where hundreds turned out to pay their respects.
Gardaí investigating the murders believe three brothers, who are connected to a significant organised crime gang, ordered the attack on the family, who, sources stressed, are 'totally innocent people'.
Philip and Kim English with their children, including Callum, left, and Jayden, centre
Kim and Philip died in the blaze in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the Birchwood estate, 3km from Waterford city centre
A burnt-out window in the family home in the Birch Avenue
They believe the family were targeted because a person known to them had racked up the debt. That man has since gone into hiding as gardaí carried out multiple raids across the Waterford area.
One of the suspects has since left the jurisdiction. All three are well known for their involvement with collecting drug debts and carrying out acts of violence and intimidation against those who owe money, and their families.
During searches, gardaí seized cars as well as phones and other electronic devices. Officers are also examining whether a woman who is known to them drove to the scene with another individual who carried out the attack.
Gardaí, in a statement, said there are people who know who carried out the attack and urged them to come forward.
Security sources explained that officers are fearful that there could be more violence after the attack on the innocent family.
A senior source explained: 'I want there to be no doubt whatsoever here. The people who were killed were completely innocent.
'They were targeted because they knew someone who had owed them money for quite some time.
'The last thing gardaí want to see is more violence but you've to remember tensions are very high right now. We have so many people grieving and they're angry, and rightly so.
'But gardaí have seen before how something of this scale can lead to more bloodshed.'
On Wednesday afternoon, James English, an uncle of Philip, said: 'Well, whoever knows, you'd want to turn up and own up whoever's done it.
'At the end of the day, we have a lot of the family now wiped out.
'Please, whoever's done it, own up. Be a man and own up for what you have done.'
He said Nadia and Elliot are 'not good' in hospital.
Forensic officers at the scene of an overnight fire in the Birchwood estate in Waterford City
Police at the scene of an overnight fire in the Birchwood estate in Waterford City, Ireland
The English family have endured a campaign of intimidation for years at the hands of a gang of thugs. Only three weeks before the fatal attack, the family car had been targeted with a petrol bomb. Nobody was injured in that incident.
Speaking at the balloon release, Philip's ex-wife Anne said they were a happy family.
'I just have no words. I'm lost and I'm going to be lost without them,' she said.
'She [Kim] is my best friend. We were very, very close. I heard when I got a phone call from one of my family and I jumped out of my bed.
'Since then I am numb. I am just shocked. The family is very close. Very happy.'
Ray Power, who is Philip's cousin, urged the younger people of Waterford not to get caught up in the criminal lifestyle.
He described the rampant drug use in the city as a 'demon' which comes into homes and destroys them.
He said: 'You'd be better off going off into a different country, going off and enjoying life, and enjoying yourself instead of looking up to that [dealers], because they'll use you. They don't care about you.'
In the latest Garda statement regarding the murders, a spokesman said: 'The investigation is intense in nature and very active with multiple searches being carried out across a number of premises in Waterford city yesterday evening.
'A number of electronic devices and vehicles have been seized which are now subject of technical examination. There have been no arrests at this time.'
'Comprehensive approach' to intimidation
Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has insisted the Government has taken a 'comprehensive approach' to tackling drug-related intimidation, following the fatal incident in Waterford.
Kim English, in her 30s; her husband Phillip, in his 50s; and their sons Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, were killed, and their daughter Nadia, 14, and son Elliot, six, are fighting for their lives, after their home was set ablaze as they slept.
The innocent family were targeted by gangs in the months leading up to the attack over a €20,000 drug debt, which was not theirs.
In a statement to the Irish Daily Mail, a spokeswoman for Mr O'Callaghan has defended the Government's record on tackling drug-related intimidation attacks.
It comes after calls by the Policing Authority for more resources for schemes over concerns that families are reluctant to approach support units 'for fear of retaliation by drug dealers'.
The spokeswoman said Mr O'Callaghan is 'regularly briefed by' Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly on measures to stop intimidation.
She said the Government and Commissioner have 'placed a strong focus on disrupting the organised criminal groups responsible while supporting those affected by their activities'.
She added that gardaí have a 'central role' in responding to these incidents, through reporting programmes, and 'they ensure that appropriate supports are in place'.
In the new National Drugs Strategy, published on Tuesday, no new measures for drug-related intimidation supports were outlined.