Gardai now believe a car blaze that cost the lives of two children was started deliberately, it has emerged.
The Irish Mirror has established that investigators probing Friday night’s horrific fire in Co Westmeath also believe they know who carried out the attack.
A source said last night: “There is one suspect.” Siblings Thelma, five, and two-year-old Michael died in the horror blaze in Multyfarnham. Their mother Lynn Egar, who is in her 40s, suffered life-changing injuries in the incident.
Read more: Westmeath car fire victims named locally as garda investigation continues
She was pulled from the blazing car by a passing lorry driver, who also managed to get the two children out. However, toddler Michael died at the scene of the incident and Thelma lost her fight for life shortly after she was rushed to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
Ms Egar, who lives in the nearby village of Rathowen, suffered horrific injuries in the fire. She was still being treated for those wounds in a specialist Dublin hospital last night.
Sources said, although the injuries are described as extremely serious, the mother-of-four is expected to survive. But it is likely to be several days before detectives probing the fire are in a position to take a witness statement from her.
However, sources say a major Garda investigation has been continuing since the blaze erupted in the townland of Lacken in Multyfarnham at around 4pm. Officers were initially satisfied that Ms Egar’s vehicle did not go on fire as a result of a crash with another vehicle.
But they could not say on Friday if the blaze was a result of arson or another kind of accident. The Garda Technical Bureau has spent all weekend examining the car and the scene where it went on fire.
Sources say detectives are now satisfied the vehicle was set on fire. They also said the case was expected to be upgraded to a murder investigation in the coming days. In a statement on Saturday night, gardai continued to appeal for witnesses to the incident. Officers said “the incident room at Mullingar Garda Station can be contacted on 044 9384000, or contact the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
The force added in a statement: “A Garda family liaison officer continues to keep the family updated at this time.
“The investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow.” Gardai did not name the young victims, but the Irish Mirror has established they were Michael and Thelma.
It’s understood formal identification will take several days and will be dependent on DNA comparison.
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