Murder inquiry launched in wake of Belfast house fire

A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a mother-of-three in a house fire on the outskirts of Belfast.

Jennifer Dornan's body was found at her Hazel View home in the Lagmore area of Dunmurry yesterday after the alarm was raised at the 30-year-old's house at 5am.

A PSNI spokesman said detectives from the serious crime branch had begun a murder inquiry.

The police are appealing to members of the local community who saw Ms Dornan on Saturday night, when she was socialising with friends, or in the early hours of Sunday as she walked home, to contact them.

Det Supt Kevin Geddes, from the serious crime branch said following a postmortem yesterday, Ms Dornan's death had been declared a murder.

“It goes without saying that her family are devastated, firstly by the news of her death and, within the past few hours, suffering the added heartbreak that this was murder. Jennifer leaves behind three young children, two boys and a girl all under nine.

He said Ms Dornan had been on a night out with friends at the Devenish complex on Finaghy Road North on Saturday. They left at about 1.30am and went back to a friend’s house. At 3am she left and walked the short distance home.

Sinn Féin MLA Jennifer McCann said the commencement of a murder inquiry has “sent shock waves through the local community”.