Killed sleeping over to watch the Toy Show

LITTLE Tadhg Farrell was having a sleepover for the weekend at the home that was petrol-bombed because he had been enjoying the Late Late Toy Show with his grandaunt and granny the previous night, it is understood.

- BY NICOLA DONNELLY

The innocent four-year-old was killed alongside his grandaunt Mary Holt, 60, in what has been described by gardai as a “reckless, callous and murderous attack” which Justice Minister O'Callaghan said was “an attack designed to kill the inhabitants”.

His granny Pauline Holt, in her 50s, was seriously injured and continues to be treated in hospital.

It is suspected a petrol bomb was thrown through the front sitting-room window of the two-storey, semidetached home in Castleview Park estate in Edenderry, Co Offaly, at around 7.30pm on Saturday.

The property remained sealed off yesterday morning as officers from the Garda Technical Bureau continued to comb the house and front garden for evidence.

Cllr Fergus McDonnell said it is his understanding Tadhg was spending the weekend at the house because he was watching the Late Late Toy Show on Friday night.

He added: "It's very, very raw and people are still in extreme shock and disgusted at the fact that two innocent lives have been lost a young child, I believe, was staying over in the house to watch the Late Late Toy Show and everything to live for.

"It's horrendous. There is seething anger at the moment.”

Sources said one line of inquiry is that those responsible are involved in the drugs trade in the Midlands and targeted the innocent victims, who had no connection to criminal activity, because of their family ties to a convicted drug dealer.

Cllr McDonnell added: "The gardai are the people who have the knowledge and confirmed they are seeking a gang element behind this.

"There is a lot of drug dealing and a lot of traffic into the town on particular days.