A man has admitted killing four members of the same family in a fire, including one death enacted as part of a suicide pact.
Daniel Sebastian Allen, 32, admitted murdering Roman Gossett, 16, Sabrina Gosset, 19, and Sabrina's 15-month-old daughter, Morgana Quinn, in the blaze five years ago. He also pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of the teens' mother Denise Gossett, 45, "by way of a suicide pact", and to a charge of arson.
At Craigavon Crown Court, Allen was sentenced to life imprisonment, and will appear again in court in September for a tariff hearing. Belfast Live reports that the four relatives, spanning three generations, died in the fire on February 27, 2018, at their home in Derrylin in County Fermanagh, in the south-west of Northern Ireland.
Allen had previously entered guilty pleas to the charge of manslaughter in relation to killing Denise and Sabrina, but had denied killing Roman and Morgana, claiming they were already dead.
Appearing in the dock wearing a checked shirt, accompanied by officers, Allen read his pleas from a sheet of paper held by an official. He did not react when the judge, Mr Justice O'Hara, delivered a life sentence for the murder of three members of the Gossett family.
The judge thanked the jury members who had been sworn in on Monday for their time, adding that he wanted them to be there for Allen's plea so they understood why the case would not be proceeding as planned.
Defence barrister Frank O'Donoghue said his client understood the charges against him, with prosecution barrister David McDowell saying he was satisfied with the new arraignment conditions.
Allen had previously been set to contest the charges of murder on the grounds he claimed had been involved in a suicide pact with both Denise and Sabrina Gossett, and had no part in the death of the younger two victims.
On these grounds, Allen previously pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, and not guilty to murder and not guilty to one count of arson with intent to endanger life. Allen has been in custody since 2018.
During a court session in early 2022 the defence team concluded that Allen's mental-health assessment did not provide evidence of diminished responsibility. Allen will appear in court again for a tariff hearing on Friday September 15.
Around 100 people paid tribute to the victims, who were originally from England, at a memorial event days after the tragedy struck. Two men who rushed to the scene of the fire were later given bravery awards for entering the house and trying to clear the way before emergency services arrived.
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