Heartbreak as removal takes place for murdered Vanessa Whyte and her children
Ms Whyte, 45, a vet, her son James, 14, and daughter Sara, 13, died following the same incident at a property in the Drummeer Road in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday morning.
Father Raymond Donnelly will preside at the liturgy for the Service of Removal today for the three lives lost in the shooting at the family home last week.
The death of the person suspected of shooting them, Ian Rutledge, 43, was announced on Monday night. It is understood the agricultural contractor is the only suspect in the shooting of his family.
Last week, police said a triple murder and attempted suicide was a line of inquiry.
If you need help or support, there are a number of charities available 24/7:
11:37 KEY EVENT
The coffins of murder victims Vanessa Whyte and her children Sara and James Rutledge have arrived at St Mary's Church in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh, for a service of removal.
People, including from two local GAA clubs, lined each side of the street to pay their respects as the coffins arrived at the church.
Among those attending the service are Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill, former first minister Baroness Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein MP Pat Cullen.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
10 hours ago
- Sunday World
BBC faces criticism over delay in paying court-ordered damages to Gerry Adams
The corporation lost a major defamation case earlier this year after Mr Adams took them to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme and an accompanying online story Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams outside the High Court in Dublin after he won his libel action against the BBC (Brian Lawless/PA) The BBC has been criticised for not yet having paid court-ordered damages to former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams. The corporation lost a major defamation case earlier this year after Mr Adams took them to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme and an accompanying online story. They contained an allegation that Mr Adams sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson. Mr Adams denied any involvement. In May, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him 100,000 euros (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article. The BBC, which was found by the jury not to have acted in good faith nor in a fair and reasonable way, was also ordered to pay the former Sinn Fein leader's legal costs. BBC Northern Ireland director Adam Smyth (centre) outside the High Court in Dublin after the court case (Brian Lawless/PA) Adam Smyth, director of BBC NI, expressed disappointment in the verdict and said the corporation believes it supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial process and journalistic diligence applied to the programme and accompanying online article. After the decision, the broadcaster's legal team was granted a stay in the payment of the full award as it took time to consider an appeal, subject to paying half the damages (50,000 euros or £42,000) and 250,000 euros (£210,000) towards solicitors' fees. In June, the BBC confirmed it would not pursue an appeal. However, it is understood that by August 1 the BBC had not paid the damages. Mr Adams previously indicated that he planned to donate what he receives to good causes. He specified that these would include for children in Gaza as well as groups in the Irish language sector and those who are homeless. A source close to Mr Adams told the PA news agency: 'The delay by the BBC is deplorable and it should move speedily towards discharging the order of the court.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'Total costs will be finalised and payable in due course.' Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams outside the High Court in Dublin after he won his libel action against the BBC (Brian Lawless/PA) News in 90 Seconds - Sunday, August 3rd
Irish Daily Mirror
21 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man jailed for torture of woman punished for posting video of himself in prison
This thug has been disciplined after he posted a video online of himself in prison – while awaiting sentencing for the torture and false imprisonment of a woman. The Irish Mirror can reveal Sean Conroy – described by a judge as a 'main mover' in the shocking attack by a gang on defenceless Natalie Ennis – posted a bizarre clip from inside Dublin's Mountjoy Prison three weeks ago. That was after he had pleaded guilty to the assault in central Dublin last September– for which he was handed a 12-year sentence on Wednesday. The Dubliner posted the video on social media around July 9 after filming it on a mobile phone. That's despite it being a criminal offence for a prisoner to use a device behind bars. The video shows what appears to be a large amount of cannabis In the video, Conroy, 21, of Sillogue Road, Ballymun, North Dublin, films himself making a bacon and sausage bap on a grill – and tells his online audience 'Work hard, stay humble'. He pans the camera to a TV showing GAA and then to the door of his cell – which he opens to show a prison landing. Dopey Conroy even added a cell-block selfie to the video – with the subtitle 'Mountjoy Prison'. The video also shows what appears to be a large amount of cannabis. And at one stage, Conroy films himself smoking a hand-rolled cigarette while he and a cellmate watch a game in the FIFA Club World Cup competition, which was held in the United States. But prison bosses soon became aware of the footage – and promptly raided his cell. It's understood officers seized a number of items, including a phone and SIM card. Conroy's fry-up He was then hit with a so-called P19, a prison disciplinary notice that usually means a loss of privileges. A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service would not discuss Conroy's case with the Irish Sunday Mirror. He said: 'The Irish Prison Service does not comment on matters relating to the operations or security of our prisons.' Conroy was one of five men caged on Wednesday for the attack on Ms Ennis, which shocked the nation when details emerged at their sentencing hearing. They beat, tortured and held her captive for three hours in a Dublin flat over a false accusation about missing drugs. Ms Ennis was beaten to the head and body with metal pole, burned with a makeshift blowtorch and a heated hammer head. She was also cut with a knife, kicked and punched, had her hair cut off and was threatened with rape. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard the men took running jumps at her during the assault in a one-bedroom flat at Henrietta House, Dublin 7. They threatened to make her drink ammonia and also threatened to rape her teenage daughter. Natalie Ennis was abducted and tortured because of a row over missing drugs which she knew nothing about. Five men who beat, burned, stabbed and tortured a woman for three hours in a Dublin flat last year have been jailed for between eight-and-a-half and 14 years (Image: Collins Courts) Prosecutor Caroline Cummings told an earlier sentence hearing that Ms Ennis was terrified throughout the horrific thought she was going to die. The assault only ended when gardai entered the flat with a search warrant, the court heard. Five of the eight men present that day entered guilty pleas, while another man and a juvenile are still before the courts. The eighth person is not before the courts. Conroy, along with Mark Keogh, 33, Mark McMahon, 55, and Braxton Rice, 21, all of Henrietta House, Henrietta Place, Dublin 7, and Kian Walshe, 22, of Constitution Hill, Dublin 7, all pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault causing harm Ms Ennis at Henrietta House. A number of other counts against each man relating to the production of articles in the course of an offence, were taken into consideration. Judge Pauline Codd commended the gardai for their intervention, the thoroughness of their investigation and the empathy shown to Ms Ennis. She also noted but for the intervention of the gardai, the men could be facing more serious charges. Braxton Rice Judge Codd said the harm caused to Ms Ennis was the 'most serious type' within the range of the charge of assault causing harm. She added Rice was the 'main ringleader' who acted as 'inquisitor' in relation to the missing drugs, made 'vicious threats' and heated implements which were used to burn the victim. She said Rice's level of culpability was within the 'exceptional level' for the offence of false imprisonment, and he used 'sadistic torture and threats' against the 'defenceless woman'. Judge Codd handed Rice a sentence of 15 years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. She said Conroy was 'centrally involved' and imposed a sentence of 13 years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions. Handing down McMahon a sentence of 12 years, Judge Codd noted he allowed his flat to be used, 'facilitated and actively took part' in the offending, but was not the 'main mover'. She noted he expressed shame that he was involved in an offence involving violence against women. McMahon's son, Keogh, was jailed for nine years for his involvement in the brutal assault. Mark Keogh Judge Codd said Walshe's car was used to transport the victim to the flat and that he shared a recording of the attack, which demonstrated a 'lack of empathy and moral compass'. She handed him a sentence of 11 years with the final two-and-a-half years suspended on strict conditions . Conroy has 89 previous convictions including drug dealing and possession, burglary and possession of knives. Speaking to RTE Radio One on Thursday, Ms Ennis recounted the full horror of the attack. She said: 'They were coming behind the doors and whacking me with steel poles, batons, hatchets. I got a hatchet into the head as well. Then they were coming at speed, running, doing flying kicks and hitting me. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week 'That's how I lost my teeth. I've a good few missing teeth. 'They were standing on my face as well while they got me on the floor, standing all over my body. 'I had to get a disc removed from my back and all and some of my spine bone carved, and then I had a blow out elbow as well from blocking myself. 'They were just hitting me with steel poles and heated poles. 'I'm physically and mentally not normal anymore. They ruined my life basically.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Deaths in Co Fermanagh: ‘The only comfort we have is that Vanessa, James and Sara are together and finally safe'
Three hearses parked, side by side, outside a small country church. They took up the width of the road. A heartbreaking sight. 'When you look at them together like that, it just hits you,' murmured a local man as the funeral bell tolled for Vanessa Whyte and her two teenage children. READ MORE Their grieving family walked the final stretch of tarmac behind the coffins of their loved ones. They walked between footpaths lined by mourners from two communities at opposite ends of the island united in pain and shock at the terrible circumstances surrounding the deaths of Vanessa, James (14) and Sara (13). They died in a shooting at their home in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh . Ian Rutledge, Vanessa's husband and the children's father, died later in hospital from self-inflicted gun wounds . Vanessa was from the Co Clare village of Barefield, which is just outside Ennis. She was steeped in the GAA and a proud supporter of Clare hurling . This time last year, Vanessa and the children were in Croke Park when their beloved Banner County lifted the All-Ireland hurling crown. In Fermanagh, they were active members of two local GAA clubs. Who could have imagined that the saffron and blue jerseys they so proudly wore to Dublin would be placed next to a church altar at their funeral mass a year later? Or that their names would be spoken at the next All-Ireland hurling final as the crowd rose for a minute's silence to mark their passing? In Barefield on Saturday, these were among the questions repeatedly asked by mourners. There were no answers. Not for the crowd at the roadside nor for the people on the hill above, where the Church of the Immaculate Conception was already packed to capacity. The overflow was accommodated by rows of outdoor seating and a public address system. It still wasn't enough. And all they could do was be there, in the overwhelming silence, trying to make sense of the scene. The order of service booklet featured a now familiar photograph of Vanessa, Sara and James outside Croke Park. The order of service for the removal of Vanessa Whyte, her son James and daughter Sara. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire The members of the local GAA club, St Joseph's Doora-Barefield, formed part of a guard of honour outside the church. They were joined by more than a hundred members from Lisbellaw hurling club and Maguiresbridge gaelic football club who travelled from Fermanagh to bid a final farewell to their clubmates. Dressed in their club colours, many of them young teenagers like James and Sara, they sobbed and embraced when the cortege passed. As they stood, the rolled booklets stuck out of back pockets like matchday programmes. Each hearse was packed with mementos from the short lives of the three deceased with rectangular wreaths resting against the sides, each one with a name and place in the family: Vanessa – mother, daughter, sister; James – son, brother, nephew; Sara – daughter, sister, niece, cousin. Vanessa was a vet. The family loved animals. Little soft-toy black-and-white cats looked out from the hearses bearing the children. There were framed family photographs, lots of them. Hurleys. Sliotars. Jerseys. The men from the GAA clubs stepped forward and prepared to shoulder the remains into the church. One of them, stooping to take the burden, shook his head in disbelief when he saw the young lad's coffin. Then he hefted it aloft with his clubmates. Up the slope and to the doors where a bishop and a large number of local priests were waiting. [ 'We couldn't possibly have answers': Prayer service held in Co Clare for Fermanagh shooting victims Opens in new window ] [ 'Their infectious energy, their open smiles': Murder of mother and children has shaken Co Fermanagh community, service hears Opens in new window ] In the front row of mourners was Mary Whyte, Vanessa's mother. Her remaining sons and daughters and their children were there to comfort her. Three generations of a family in sorrow. Regina White gave the eulogy for her sister, niece and nephew. It was compelling in its testimony of love and also in its perfectly pitched description of a family torn apart by the violent actions of another. She talked about their personalities. Their funny little quirks. Their kindness. Their interests. The things that made them special. Vanessa: 'unique and irreplaceable … witty, bright and determined". Catching the bus to the All-Ireland final in 1997 with no ticket to the match, but getting one within an hour of reaching Dublin. Her love of animals and of her home county of Clare. Fourteen-year-old James: a kind boy with an infectious smile and strong sense of loyalty. He had a deep love of the GAA and idolised the hurlers from the Banner County. 'Our family find comfort in the fact that James got to experience the feelings of his county winning the All-Ireland last year,' said Regina. Thirteen-year-old Sara: she wanted to become a vet like her mother. 'She had a smile that would light a room and, like her brother, devilment was a core part of her personality . . . She was a normal, happy 13-year-old.' She never left home without Bunny, a small toy dog. 'When you saw Sara, Bunny was in close proximity. He will remain with her on her final journey.' So much to say about them. But so much more that had to be said about how they died. Regina Whyte did not shirk from this. 'Vanessa, James and Sara were taken from this world in a cruel and vicious manner. There are no words available to express how this has impacted our family and their friends. 'We as a family have been robbed of both a relationship with our sister and a chance to see James and Sara grow up, and they have been robbed of the remainder of their lives.' She steadied her wavering voice as mourners wept. They had been expecting the family in Clare this summer, as always. 'This was supposed to be a joyous occasion where Vanessa would see her new nephew Harry Joe, and Sara and James would meet their baby cousin for the first time. Instead we are in the position of choosing coffins, final burial places and funeral hymns.' These were difficult words but they needed to be said. 'For us as a family, the only comfort we have is that Vanessa, James and Sara are together and finally safe. 'Vanessa will have her children at either side of her forever, as they were when they were alive.' When their bodies were removed to Barefield after a service in Fermanagh attended by hundreds of people, they lay in repose in the 150-year-old church. There, the three coffins were placed at top of the aisle beneath three stained glass windows. The altar was beautifully decorated. And there, among the items by the steps was a wooden collection box for Women's Aid. At the requiem Mass representatives of the President, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste were present. Jarlath Burns, the GAA president attended, as did staff from Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, where James and Sara were students. Bishop Gerard Nash concelebrated. 'Here in Barefield church today with Vanessa, James and Sara, we are in the land of 'I don't know',' he said in his homily. But while the tragic events of last week – 'the ripping away of three people from their family and friends' – has left people searching for answers, he reminded mourners that in dark times like this it is important to find the light. 'Darkness will not conquer.' After the Mass, Vanessa's brother Ivor thanked all the people who sent messages of comfort and support from all over the country. He thanked the local community for rallying around, and the GAA community from Fermanagh for its great support. Then he echoed the unflinching words spoken earlier by his sister Regina. 'We hope and pray that no other family has to experience the unimaginable grief and loss we have endured since the 23rd of July' he said. 'We hope that anyone who may live in fear today recognises that if they reach out, this love and support that is part of our communities will be there for them too.' Local men and women provided stewarding inside and outside the church. 'About 30 of us, and many more willing,' said one. A farmer opened his field for parking. The hearses prepared to move. Young Sara and James were as tall as their mother when they died – their coffins were the same. And then, just before the cortege left for Templemaley cemetery, Mary Whyte walked up to the leading hearse and sat in the passenger seat. If Vanessa was still leading her two children, still with them as she always was, then her mother would be there for her daughter too, accompanying her and her grandchildren on their final journey.
