GARDAÍ HAVE confirmed they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths of a man and his two daughters after postmortems confirmed the two girls had died from asphyxia and the man from burns and smoke inhalation.
Supt Flor Horan said gardaí had begun to prepare a file for the Coroner’s Court in relation to the deaths of father-of-two John Butler (43) and his daughters, Zoe (6) and Ella (2) from Ballybraher, Ballycotton, on Tuesday morning.
State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy and her colleagues, Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis and Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster yesterday completed their postmortems at Cork University Hospital.
Zoe’s body was found lying on the couch and Ella’s lying on the floor in the front room of the family home. Both were still dressed in their pyjamas.
Gardaí believe they were killed some time after 8am after their mother and Mr Butler’s wife, Una, left home to travel to work in Cork city.
Gardaí have established that Mr Butler filled a five-gallon drum of petrol at Shanagarry filling station at about 9.30am – less than 10 minutes before he crashed into a ditch just outside Ballycotton where his car burst into flames.
They have spoken to a local man who was making a delivery in Ballycotton who told them he passed Mr Butler driving at speed just moments before his red Toyota Yaris crashed into the ditch and burst into flames.
The bodies of the two girls were discovered by two of Ms Butler’s sisters when they called to the house after hearing about the car crash and learning that Zoe had not shown up for school.
They notified one of Ms Butler’s brothers, who was with gardaí at the scene of the fatal crash, and he returned to house, where they were joined by Garda Insp Eoin Healy and Garda Cormac Ryan from Midleton Garda station.
Ms Butler’s two sisters were then brought by gardaí to Cork city to inform Ms Butler of the tragedy.
However when they got to her place of work they discovered she had already left for Ballycotton.
Traffic Corps gardaí intercepted Ms Butler at Ballymaloe and informed her that her husband had been killed in a car crash.
They waited until her brother arrived from Ballycotton and he broke the news to her that her two children were also dead.
Garda technical experts last night completed their examination of the family bungalow and also carried out a forensic examination of Mr Butler’s car.
The bodies of Mr Butler and his two daughters were last night released to Ms Butler. While funeral arrangements have yet to be finalised, it is expected that all three will be buried before the weekend.
Gardaí yesterday renewed their appeal to anyone who may have seen Mr Butler early on Tuesday morning or had any dealings with him in the days leading up to his death to contact them at Midleton Garda station on 021-462 1550.
The local school principal, Derry Keogh, said everything possible was being done to support and shield local children from the terrible tragedy that had befallen their friend Zoe and her sister Ella.
“We got through the day – we had the support of the NEPS [National Educational Psychological Service] psychologist today and the children were very supportive of each other and the staff and the parents. We’re getting tremendous solace from the fact so many people have us in their prayers.
“We’ve got a great number of messages through the school for the family and the great care that is out there for them – coming from people all over the world in fact, which is very heartening.”
Earlier, prayers had been said for the Butler family by local curate Fr Aidan Crowley at morning Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in nearby Shanagarry.
Former Cork East Labour TD John Mulvihill said there was a tremendous community spirit in Ballycotton where Ms Butler grew up and people would rally round in support of her.
“It’s a very close-knit fishing community in Ballycotton and I know people there will rally around John’s wife, Una – John’s own family in Cobh are also a close-knit family and they will rally around and support her as well.”
A native of Belvelly in Cobh, John Butler worked in Irish Steel for a number of years.
In more recent times he worked in construction, but was laid off about a year ago.