Fermanagh house fire enquiry to go ahead in March 2019

A preliminary enquiry into the murders of four people in a deliberate house fire in Co Fermanagh is set to go ahead in March 2019.

Daniel Sebastian Allen, with an address at Molly road in Derrylin, has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of arson with intent to endanger life.

The 28-year-old appeared at Enniskillen Magistrate's Court, by videolink from Maghaberry prison on Monday 31 December.

The property was destroyed in what police described as a ferocious fire in February 2018.

45-year-old Denise Pauline Gossett died alongside her 19-year-old daughter Sabrina, her son Roman Edward, who was 16 and Sabrina's 16-month-old daughter Morgana Quinn.

It took special search teams three days to recover the fourth and youngest victim.

A representative from the Public Prosecution Service told the court that the directing officer in the case had submitted the full file.

The PPS representative continued, saying the directing officer stated that it was a "complex file" and that they hoped to have a decision by the end of January with four or possibly six weeks required for case preparation to prepare for Preliminary Enquiry papers.

Allen's defence solicitor Gary Black and District Judge Michael Ranahan agreed that progress had been made with Mr. Black hoping there would be no more slippage in proceedings going forward.

Allen is set to appear again via video link from Maghaberry Prison on Monday 28 January, with the Preliminary Enquiry set to take place on March 3.