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| Murdered pair 'died in fireball' | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A man has appeared in court accused of murdering a County Armagh couple. | A man has appeared in court accused of murdering a County Armagh couple. |
| Thomas O'Hare and Lisa McClatchey died last November after being attacked and set on fire at their home in Tassagh, near Keady. | Thomas O'Hare and Lisa McClatchey died last November after being attacked and set on fire at their home in Tassagh, near Keady. |
| Mr O'Hare and Ms McClatchey were beaten with hammers and doused in petrol before being set alight. | Mr O'Hare and Ms McClatchey were beaten with hammers and doused in petrol before being set alight. |
| Adrian Joseph Patrick Morgan, 25, from Blackthorns in Newry denies the murders. He was released on bail of £20,000. | Adrian Joseph Patrick Morgan, 25, from Blackthorns in Newry denies the murders. He was released on bail of £20,000. |
| Friday's special sitting of Newry Magistrates Court heard that when the charges were put to the bricklayer he replied "definitely not guilty". | Friday's special sitting of Newry Magistrates Court heard that when the charges were put to the bricklayer he replied "definitely not guilty". |
| However, a detective said he believed he could connect him with the charges. | However, a detective said he believed he could connect him with the charges. |
| The accused is the third person to appear in court in connection with the deaths, but the first to be charged with murder. | The accused is the third person to appear in court in connection with the deaths, but the first to be charged with murder. |
| Thomas O'Hare and Lisa McClatchey died at Foley Road in what was described in court as "a fireball". | |
| 'Vapours also ignited' | |
| A prosecuting lawyer, giving details for the first time of what the police think happened that night, said that four brothers from Clady in County Armagh had carried out the attack. | |
| Their father, Collum Smith, has already been charged with impeding the subsequent investigation. | |
| The police believe the Smith brothers were all masked and used a sledge hammer to break into the house. | |
| They beat Thomas O'Hare, before dousing him and Lisa McClatchey in petrol, the court heard. | |
| They also sprayed petrol round the house, but when they lit it, the vapours also ignited, engulfing them and their victims in flames, the lawyer said. | |
| As they fled injured, the police believe they dropped a mobile phone, and it is that phone that they say connects Mr Morgan with the four brothers. | |
| The accused is the boyfriend of a sister of the Smith brothers. | |
| The court heard he allegedly sent a text to the phone found at the scene around the time of the attack. | |
| It read: "Is everything ok?" He then rang that phone twice, the court was told. | |
| Forensic tests recently completed show that, at the time of these calls, his phone was at or in the vicinity of the house at Foley Road, said the lawyer. | |
| The four Smith brothers are still wanted by the police, but are living in the Republic of Ireland. |