Horror as couple knife each other to death in front of their children

 Tragedy: Police at the scene of the double killing in Kildysart, Co Clare last night

A couple knifed each other to death in front of their children in a horrific tragedy last night.

The man, 44, and his 27-year-old partner, named as Angie and Cornelius Belling, were confirmed dead at the scene in Kildysart, Co Clare.

Police and the fire brigade had been dealing with a fire at a hardware shop when a bloodied woman ran out of a home across the road.

The mum-of-two collapsed on the footpath and was quickly tended to by an officer while an ambulance was called. The woman is understood to have sustained a stab wound to her chest and neck.

Locals could only watch from a distance as fire fighters battled to resuscitate the injured woman.

But despite the best efforts of emergency crews, who performed CPR, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her body remained on a footpath where she died.

 

Police discovered a screaming child in a nearby house and quickly ran to investigate. They discovered the body of a man in the building, believed to have been in an upstairs bedroom.

The man had sustained serious injuries and was later pronounced dead at the scene despite the best efforts of officers to resuscitate him.

Police were later seen carrying two young children, wrapped in blankets, from the house. It’s not believed the kids, aged 3 and 5, were injured.

A police spokesman last night confirmed that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the double killing.

A senior source told the Irish Mirror : “At the moment this is likely to be a case of the couple stabbing each other. This would appear to be a domestic that went drastically out of hand.”

The couple are believed to be originally from South Africa and had only moved to the rural town recently.

The area has been sealed off for a technical examination and the Office of the State Pathologist has been contacted.

A police spokesman said they are investigating the “circumstances surrounding the death of two people”.

“Gardai were on the Main St in Kildysart when they came across an injured female at approximately 7.30pm, emergency services were contacted.

“Gardai also became aware that a male was injured in a house on Main St, Kildysart. The male was in a serious condition.

“Despite efforts by Gardai at scene both were pronounced dead by a local doctor. The bodies remain at scene. The area has been sealed off for a technical examination and the Office of the State Pathologist has been contacted.”

The spokesman continued: “Gardai at this stage can confirm that they are not looking for a third party in relation to this incident.”

Gardai are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have been in Kildysart particularly on the Main St this evening between 6pm and 7.30pm to contact them in Kildysart on 065 6832102 the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.