The son of a man murdered alongside his wife and two of their children in a firebomb attack on their Waterford home has claimed the family was targeted over a €20,000 drugs debt owed by someone else.
John James English told RTÉ News that his family had endured years of terror and insisted the victims were innocent people who had no involvement in criminal activity.
He said he knew who was responsible for the attack and was not afraid of those involved. He also revealed that the home of his mother, Ann English, Philip’s first wife, had previously been petrol-bombed.
Philip English, his wife Kim and their children, 12-year-old Callum and nine-year-old Jayden, died after their home in Birchwood Estate was firebombed at around 5am on Monday.
Their two other children, a 14-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy, remain in a critical condition in hospital.
Speaking at the scene, Ann English said she had no words to describe the tragedy, adding that she had lost her best friend. She described Philip, Kim and their children as a lovely family who loved and cared for one another.
She appealed to anyone with information about the attack to contact gardaí.
Philip’s granduncle, James English, also urged those responsible to come forward, saying the family had been “wiped out”.
Flowers were laid at the scene throughout the day as members of the community gathered to pay their respects to the victims.
Caroline Douris, principal of Scoil Lorcáin, attended with teachers from the local primary school, which two of the children had attended.
Ms Douris described Callum as a beautiful child who, along with his brother, was full of life.
Gardaí have described the investigation as intense and active, confirming that multiple searches were carried out at properties across Waterford city on Monday night.
The searches included homes linked to two significant criminal figures suspected of involvement in the drugs trade and drug-debt intimidation.
Cars and electronic devices have been seized and are undergoing forensic examination. No arrests have been made to date.
Investigators believe the attack is connected to drug-related violence and intimidation. Gardaí have renewed their appeal for anyone with information to come forward, saying people within the community may know who carried out the arson attack.
The murders have highlighted the devastating consequences of organised criminal activity, with an entire family targeted in an attack that has claimed the lives of two parents and two children, while leaving two more children fighting for their lives.
Credit: RTÉ News.
