ARTHUR McELHILL deliberately started a house fire that killed him, his partner Lorraine McGovern and their five young children, a coroner has found.
The inquest into the seven deaths at Lammy Crescent in Omagh, Co Tyrone, just over two years ago, found that McElhill set fire to the house because he believed his partner Lorraine McGovern may have intended to leave him. It was earlier established he was having sexual relations with a 16-year-old girl.
Coroner Suzanne Anderson cited witness evidence of residents in Lammy Crescent to find that McElhill, a convicted sex offender, was having a row with McGovern shortly before fire engulfed their home in the early hours of November 13th, 2007.
“I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Arthur McElhill and Lorraine McGovern had been up all night and that she was about to leave, taking with her at least some of her children, when the fire was started by Arthur McElhill,” she told an Omagh courtroom.
She accepted that McElhill’s and McGovern’s bed had not been slept in on the night in question and that a bag had been prepared containing five baby’s bottles, indicating that Ms McGovern may have been about to leave.
She further accepted that one neighbour had heard a man, believed to be McElhill, shout “You can’t run, you fat bitch” in front of the house shortly before it was engulfed in flames.
McElhill started the fire, probably at the base of the stairs at the end-of-terrace house, using direct ignition and an accelerant such as petrol and white spirit.
She confirmed that on the evening before the fatal fire, McElhill and McGovern had attended a car auction, leaving their five children in the care of the 16-year-old girl with whom McElhill had been having a sexual relationship in the months leading up to the fire.
Ms Anderson also accepted evidence that McElhill and the minor had made 34 phone calls that day.
The inquest had earlier heard evidence from the PSNI and from a teenager known only as Witness A that there had been a period of intense contact between McElhill and Witness A over weeks leading up to the deaths when the teenager was a minor.
Evidence from 33 people was heard over four days of the inquest. Proceedings had been interrupted for some six weeks because of legal issues.
Turning to the possibility that McElhill may have died by suicide, the coroner recounted earlier medical evidence about his state of mind. She accepted that he had sought medical help for depression previously and said his private life must have been in turmoil because of his relationship with the young girl and the fact that he was on the sex offenders list and at risk of imprisonment if the affair was uncovered.
However, she said a finding of suicide had to be based on establishing that McElhill was acting voluntarily, intended to take his own life and died as the direct result of his actions.
Ms Anderson said she could not support such a finding.
She concluded her findings by noting the scale of the tragedy which had shocked the community in Omagh. She brought the session to a close by offering her sympathy to the families of the dead.
Outside the courthouse, members of the McGovern family stood silently while their solicitor Seán McHugh read a statement welcoming the findings and appealing for privacy to grieve.
A statement was also issued by Arthur McElhill’s parents, Charles and Patricia, in which they said they had tried their best for him and his eight siblings and had always taught the difference between right and wrong.
Each family offered prayers and sympathy to the other.
Bereft families' statements after inquest findings:
Statement of Charles and Patricia McElhill:
AS PARENTS we have always tried our best for our children. The duty of any parent is to teach their children the difference between right and wrong. Arthur was no different in that he was brought up to respect the same values as our eight other children.
The events of two years ago have devastated and shattered our lives beyond belief. Our pain is immeasurable and it will endure for the rest of our lives. We love and miss Arthur, Lorraine and our grandchildren every day.
We will always remember them as a happy family.
We thank the emergency services and those who rendered assistance on the night of 13th November, 2007.
We also wish to express our gratitude to all who continue to support us in our grief, and at this difficult time we appeal for the privacy of our family to be respected. We ask you to keep both the McGovern and McElhill families in your prayers.
May all those who have died in this tragedy rest in peace.
Statement of the McGovern family:
WE THE McGovern family would like to thank the people of Omagh, Curlough and the surrounding areas for their help, comfort and support given to us over the past two years.
We would like to thank all the emergency services who were involved, the police and especially the brave firefighters who attended the scene of the fire.
We would also wish to thank the coroner and the courtroom staff for the courteous and efficient manner in which they have conducted these proceedings.
We are thankful and relieved that these proceedings have now concluded and which we trust will bring us closure on this awful tragedy and allow us to get on with our lives.
We are mindful that the McElhill family have also suffered greatly and we extend to them our sincere sympathy. We will not be making any further statements on this matter and we request that the media will respect our wishes and our privacy.