Northern Ireland

A year of tragedy with 19 murders including a 15-month-old baby

Detective Chief Inspector Geoffrey Boyce, appeals for information about the disappearance of Saoirse Smyth believed to have been murdered.
Detective Chief Inspector Geoffrey Boyce, appeals for information about the disappearance of Saoirse Smyth believed to have been murdered. Detective Chief Inspector Geoffrey Boyce, appeals for information about the disappearance of Saoirse Smyth believed to have been murdered.

The number of violent deaths reported in Northern Ireland increased during 2018, with a family, including a 15-month old baby, killed in an arson attack in Derrylin.

Of the 19 murders investigated, two were security related killings. Raymond Johnston was shot dead in front of his partner and her child in February and the gangland style murder of Jim JD Donegan outside his son's school in December.

The first violent death of the year was in east Belfast in January when the body of 53-year-old Mark Ponisi was found in the living room of a flat on the London Road, near the Ravenhill Road.

He had suffered injuries to his head and face, a 25-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were arrested at the scene and later charged in connection with his murder.

Later that month the body of retired school teacher Robert Flowerday was discovered at his home on the Mill Road in Crumlin.

The discovery was made by police who called to his house after a member of the public raised concerns. One man has been charged with his murder.

Dissident republicans were believed to have been responsible for the murder of Raymond Johnston at the home he shared with his partner and his 11-year-old daughter in the Glenbawn Avenue area of Poleglass in February. The 28-year-old had been warned he was under threat in the weeks before his murder.

In February, Morgana Ulva Amira Quinn, who was just 15 months old, lost her life alongside three members of her family in a blaze in Derrylin.

The baby's grandmother Denise Pauline Gossett (45), mother Sabrina Patricia Elizabeth Gossett (19) and uncle Roman Edward Lewis Gossett (16), also died in the fire that police believe was started maliciously.

They family were originally from Doncaster in England and had lived in Tralee in Co Kerry before moving to the remote farmhouse in Derrylin. A 27-year-old from Enniskillen, has been charged with the four murders.

Father of five Karol Kelly (35) was knifed in the chest at Grafton Street in the Rosemount area of Derry on March 4. A number of people have been charged with his murder.

Piotr Krowka was homeless when his body was discovered in a former parochial house on the Glen Road in Maghera on April 3.

He had been living in the town since 2005 and had fallen on hard times, sleeping in derelict buildings, two teenagers have been charged with the murder of the Polish national.

A man has been charged with the murder of 29-year-old Brian Burke in Titania Street in the east Belfast, on April 8 this year.

Mr Burke was treated at the scene for a stab wound, but passed away later in the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Romanian Stefan Zait (45) had been living and working on fishing vessels in Ardglass for six years, when he was attacked in May suffering serious head injuries in an assault. He died in hospital two days after the attack. A 20-year-old man was charged with his murder.

Robert Molloy Jones (30) died following an attack in the Parkmount Street area of north Belfast on Thursday June 28. It is understood he had suffered a serious brain injury.

Father-of-two Brian Phelan (33) was stabbed to death on July 26 on the Carrivekeeney Road, on the outskirts of Newry A 27-year-old was charged in connection with his murder.

Ryan Macrae (32) was attacked at Church Street in Portaferry shortly in the early hours of Sunday October 14. He was rushed to hospital where doctors spent ten days fighting to save his life, however he died from his injuries. Two men originally charged with assault were rearrested in connection with his murder.

A 28-year-old man was charged with the murder of Good Samaritan Pauline Kilkenny (59), found by her sister at a property on the Cornacully Road between Belcoo and Garrison in November. Concerns had been raised after Ms Kilkenny, who had taken in dozens of stray and abused animals, failed to turn up for work.

The body of 51-year-old Edward Meenan was found in an alleyway off Creggan Street in Derry the early hours of Sunday November 25. He had suffered injuries to his head and body. Three men have been charged in connection with his death.

The most high profile murder of the year was the gangland style assassination of 43-year-old Jim Donegan, shot dead as he sat in his red Porsche outside his son's school in west Belfast in December.

Mr Donegan's murder was thought to be linked to a criminal fall out. No one has claimed or been charged with the father-of-twos murder.

Padraig Fox (29) was found dead inside his flat at Burrendale Park Road in Newcastle in December, a number of people have been charged with various offences linked to his murder.

It marks an increase in murders from last year, according to police statistics in 2017 they carried out 15 murder investigations.