Waterford arson: Man and woman appear in court

Man and woman appear before court following arson attack deaths 29 minutes ago Eimear Flanagan BBC News PA Media Four family members of the English famliy died in the arson attack at the home in Waterford on Tuesday A man and a woman have appeared in court, charged in connection with a fatal arson attack in Waterford in the Republic of Ireland.

Cian Stacey, 21, of no fixed abode, and Jessica Dalton, 31, with an address in Waterford city, are both charged with Section 4 assault causing serious harm against two individuals, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and criminal damage. Detectives said that neither person made any reply when the charges were put to them.

Defence solicitor Ciarán Murphy, who represented both defendants, said that no application for bail was being made in either case. Jessica Dalton was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Waterford District Court again on Tuesday, while Cian Stacey will also appear before the same court on Tuesday via videolink, Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported.

Kim English, Philip English and two of their children - nine-year-old Jayden and 12-year-old Callum - died after their home in Birch Avenue was set on fire on Tuesday. Two other children, who were also in the house at the time, were critically injured and were taken to hospital in Crumlin in Dublin.

The suspects, a man aged in his 20s and a woman in her 30s, were arrested on Thursday and are due to appear before a special sitting of Clonmel District Court in County Tipperary on Saturday afternoon.