Man arrested in Creeslough explosion investigation released without charge
A man arrested by gardai investigating an explosion at a petrol station in Cresslough has been released without charge.
Four men, three women and three young people, their ages ranging from five to 59, died in the blast on the afternoon of Friday October 7 2022 in the Co Donegal village.
The man aged in his 60s was arrested on Friday for alleged offences contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.
He had been held at a Garda station in the north-western region.
The Garda said he has been released without charge and a file would now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The investigation into the explosion, which ripped through the service station and an adjacent apartment block, is being co-ordinated from Milford Garda station, where an incident room is in operation.
The inquiry is being led by local gardai, supported by a number of different agencies, including Ireland's Health and Safety Authority.
The 10 victims were Robert Garwe and his five-year-old daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe, Catherine O'Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan, fashion student Jessica Gallagher, Celtic fan Martin McGill, James O'Flaherty from Sydney, Australia, shop worker Martina Martin, carpenter Hugh 'Hughie' Kelly and 14-year-old Leona Harper.
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The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Man who died in supermarket shooting incident fired in the air as shoppers fled
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By Monday evening, a technical examination of the car park scene in Carlow had concluded, but the scene remained held and the Fairgreen Shopping Centre remained closed. Ms Hilman said the incident on Sunday evening was a 'terrifying experience' for shoppers who fled the building when the gunman starting shooting in the air. Speaking to media at Carlow Garda Station on Monday, the assistant commissioner confirmed that no one else was injured by any of the shots fired. She said a young girl sustained a minor leg injury when she fell while running from the centre. Earlier, the scene of the fatality outside the Tesco store was declared safe after an examination by Irish army explosives officers. Gardai had called the bomb disposal experts to the scene after observing a bottle containing an unknown substance on the body of the dead man. Irish premier, Taoiseach Micheal Martin, said he was 'deeply shocked and saddened' at the incident. Ms Hilman said gardai attended the incident after receiving multiple reports of shots being fired in the shopping centre around 6.15pm. 'Gardai responded to the scene and met a large number of people running from the shopping centre,' she told reporters. 'An unarmed uniform unit arriving at the scene observed the suspect exiting the shopping centre. 'The suspect discharged a firearm – a shotgun – into the air. 'Another plain clothes armed garda unit responding drew their official firearms and identified themselves as armed gardai. 'The suspect discharged the firearm again, self-inflicting a fatal wound. 'No member of An Garda Siochana discharged a weapon. 'An Garda Siochana now understands that the lone male had walked through the shopping centre and had discharged the firearm, into the air, on a number of occasions. 'No person was injured by the shots discharged. 'A young girl, in the shopping centre with her parents, suffered a minor leg injury when she fell while running from the scene. 'This was meant to be a normal day out on a bank holiday weekend. This was a terrifying experience for every person that was present in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre yesterday evening.' The body of the man was removed from the scene on Monday afternoon, and taken to the mortuary in Dublin. A post mortem is to be carried out by the State Pathologist tomorrow. Ms Hilman added: 'I would like to acknowledge the management and business community of the Fairgreen Shopping Centre for their assistance and support to the public yesterday evening. 'I also want to acknowledge the assistance of all the emergency services yesterday evening, local fire brigade, ambulance services and the Defence Forces for their professionalism and assistance. 'I specifically want to highlight the response of local Garda members, who on receipt of a call of a very dangerous incident immediately responded to protect their community. Their courage was exemplary. 'An Garda Siochana is conscious that this serious incident has an impact on the local community and local Garda management will work with the local community, business community and other state agencies in the coming days to help the community come to terms with this incident. 'An Garda Siochana is also very aware that there is a family grieving the death of their loved one at this time and An Garda Siochana appeals for privacy for the family.' An incident room has been established at Carlow Garda Station, with a senior investigating officer (SIO) appointed to lead the investigation. The Garda said a family liaison officer was providing support to the dead man's family. Local Fine Gael councillor Fergal Browne said people in the town had been left terrified. ' People were obviously terrified, a bank holiday Sunday, going into town to do their shopping,' he told the PA news agency. 'People ran from the centre crying and upset. 'There was a bunch of foreign students in the area, who could not believe they were caught up in the middle of all of it.' Mr Browne added: 'It's very upsetting for everyone who was involved in it or who witnessed it.' Gardai have appealed for witnesses to come forward. They have also urged anyone who may have recorded footage of the incident not to share it on social media platforms or messaging apps, but instead provide it directly to the investigating team.
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13 hours ago
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Man who died in supermarket shooting incident fired in the air as shoppers fled
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BreakingNews.ie
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- BreakingNews.ie
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An insurance broker triggered a smoke alarm on a London Stansted – Dublin flight after aggressively ignoring cabin crew and going to the toilet just before take-off on Sunday, a court has heard. Father of two, William Horn, 29, of Stone Rings Lane, Harrowgate, England, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges under the Air Navigation and Transport Act following his arrest on Sunday at Terminal 1, Dublin Airport. Advertisement Airport-based Garda Sandip Shrestha told Dublin District Court he charged the accused with offensive behaviour on the Ryanair flight and setting off the smoke alarm, and the accused replied, 'You are chatting shit'. Judge John Brennan noted that day-tripper Horn, who came to Ireland for a birthday party, was pleading guilty to the charges. Garda Shreshta said on June 1st, he received a call from cabin crew about 'a disruptive passenger' on the flight. Garda Shreshta learned that Horn was in the toilet, and 'a plume of smoke set off the smoke alarm inside the plane'. The captain also confirmed to the garda that the alarm was also activated in the cockpit. Advertisement Judge Brennan heard that it started just before taking off in Stansted when the aircraft was taxiing to the runway. The seatbelts signs were activated but Horn 'ignored the cabin crew's instructions and went to the toilet, and walked by the cabin crew in an aggressive manner'. Defence solicitor Edward Bradbury told the court his client, who remained silent during the hearing, was pleading guilty and from his perspective, it had been 'somewhat an ordeal and in his own mind a misunderstanding'. The garda agreed with Mr Bradbury that the aircraft was about to take off when Horn decided to go to the toilet. Advertisement The accused had no prior convictions in Ireland. Mr Bradbury said his client has been 'chastened' by this ordeal, was held in custody overnight, and missed his birthday party. The court heard there was no evidence of intoxication, and Horn insisted he was not smoking in the toilet. However, the solicitor acknowledged that, at the very least, the issue had a smattering of recklessness all over it. The solicitor said it happened when the aircraft was taxiing for take-off, which was aggravating circumstances for the flight attendants. Judge Brennan said it happened in a confined environment where people were vulnerable, but on the scale of these offences, it ranked at the lower end. He said that if Horn donated €500 to a Dublin charity which has assisted people affected by homelessness and addiction, he would receive the Probation of Offenders Act and be spared a criminal record. The judge warned that failure to pay would result in recorded convictions and fines totalling €800. Horn was released on €300 bail and excused from attending when the case resumes next week.
