THE FIRE that claimed the lives of the seven members of the McElhill family in November 2007 in Omagh, Co Tyrone, appeared to have been started deliberately and inside the house, two forensic scientists told the inquest into the seven deaths in Omagh yesterday.
The inquest, as well as hearing the harrowing and vain 999 phone call from 13-year-old Caroline McElhill, also heard how neighbours tried to carry out a rescue attempt and how they were beaten back by what was described as an “inferno”. A witness also said that Arthur McElhill could have escaped but that he appeared to “turn back” into the fire.
Coroner Suzanne Anderson is conducting the inquest into the deaths of Arthur McElhill (36) and his partner Lorraine McGovern (29), and their five children, Caroline (13), Seán (7), Bellina (4), Clodagh (19 months) and James (10 months).
They all perished in the fire that engulfed the McElhill home at 4 Lammy Crescent between 4.30am and 4.50am on November 13th, 2007.
Arthur McElhill, who had two previous convictions for indecently assaulting teenage girls and who had a record of depression and at least one suicide attempt, has been blamed for deliberately starting the fire.
Relatives of the McElhill and McGovern families attended the inquest but sat opposite each other in the court room. The McGoverns are represented by Donal Lunny and the McElhills by Seán Doherty.
At the outset the coroner Ms Anderson indicated that the inquest would not be concluded by tomorrow, as scheduled, because of a legal application on behalf of the McElhill family by Mr Doherty.
Forensic scientists Andrew Bernard Wade and Dennis Norman McAuley gave evidence of the fire being started inside the house and held to this view notwithstanding queries by Mr Doherty as to whether the fire could have started from outside by, for example, someone pouring flammable liquid through the letter box.
Mr Wade said he was “satisfied that accidental cause can be eliminated”, adding that “the presence of flammable liquid – petrol – supports a non-accidental” cause of the fire.
“The fire did not spread from the front door,” he added.
Mr McAuley said he believed that a combination of petrol and white spirit was used to start the fire. “It is likely an occupant started the fire,” he said. No accelerant was found outside the front door, he added.
Mark Gerard McGlinn, a neighbour, told how he ran from his house at 4.50am barefooted and wearing just his boxer shorts, and how he grabbed some ladders to see if he could rescue anyone within the house.
He described how despite the flames and intense heat he managed to get the ladder to an upper window where he could see Arthur McElhill. He could hear screaming from a woman close to him, who appeared to be Lorraine McGovern but there was no sound from Mr McElhill.
Despite his entreaties Mr McElhill did not respond to Mr McGlinn. “I think he could have got out, but he never responded to me. He stared at me for three or four seconds. no response. just turned back ,” he said.
Northern Ireland state pathologist Prof Jack Crane said he examined the bodies of Lorraine McGovern and Caroline and Clodagh McElhill while Dr Alistair Bentley examined the remains of Arthur McElhill, and Seán, Bellina and James.
The witnesses said all the victims died from fire fume inhalation. They believed the seven variously suffered all or most of their burns after they succumbed to the fumes. Dental records were used to confirm the identities of six of the victims while 10-month-old baby James was identified through DNA testing.
There was no evidence of sexual assault of the girls, and generally no evidence of physical assault. There was no evidence of drugs or significant alcohol use.
The inquest heard that all seven victims were found dead in the three upstairs bedrooms. Mr McElhill and Ms McGovern and one child was discovered in one room, three other children in another and the other child in a cot in the third.