Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

STRANGLED BEFORE THEY COULD LEAVE

Mum and daughter, 15, planned return home to Colombia within days

- BY JILLY BEATTIE

A TRAGIC mum and daughter were strangled in their home days before they planned to leave Ireland.

Gisella Irina Marimon-herrera and 15-year-old Allison were found dead in a flat in Newry, Co Down. Gisella’s boyfriend Russell Steele had taken his own life.

The Colombian woman’s heartbroke­n dad said yesterday: “We were expecting her home in the coming days.”

THE father of Gisella Irina Marimon-herrera believes she was lying murdered in her home while he was trying to contact her from Colombia.

Fabian Marimon sent Gisella’s sister, who lives in Northern Ireland, to knock the apartment door in Newry, Co Down, on Thursday after they had not heard from Gisella for a number of days.

Mr Marimon, who lives in Barranquil­la, said: “Irina was beautiful. She would never harm anyone. I don’t understand how someone could do this.

“They have to be evil. Whoever did this is not normal.

“The last time we spoke was Saturday, the day before she was killed. She was happy and laughing and everything seemed normal. I spoke to her every day.

“When my other daughter called me from Northern Ireland and told me that she had not seen or heard from Irina or Allison, I told her to go to Irina’s and knock on the door.”

With no reply, Ms Marimon spoke to the PSNI and accompanie­d officers to the flat in Glin Ree Court where Gisella, 37, and 15-year-old daughter Allison were found dead. The teenager had been strangled and police believe there’s a “strong possibilit­y” her mum died the same way.

The body of a 38-year-old man, named as Russell Steele, thought to have been in a relationsh­ip with Gisella for nine months, was also found at the property. He was originally from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire,

The victim’s sister reported to her father that the man appeared to have taken his own life. The family’s Chihuahua was also killed.

Mr Marimon said: “I had been so happy since she told me she was coming home to live.

“Now that happiness has been destroyed and we are so powerless to do anything.

“We can’t afford to bring them home and the authoritie­s are not telling us anything. I just wish we had more informatio­n.”

“Allison was a bright girl, very clever and she loved to study. She was nervous about leaving her school to come back to Colombia but she knew how happy it was going to make the whole family.”

Mr Marimon said his daughter had rarely spoken about her Scottish boyfriend, and explained: “She told us that the guy was fine, apparently he worked in construc- tion.” Now the devastated dad, who lost a child last year, said he wants to travel to Northern Ireland to speak with the PSNI, saying they have not confirmed how his daughter and granddaugh­ter died.

He has requested help from the British Embassy in Colombia and the National Chanceller­y to be able to travel to Northern Ireland.

He added: “We want to see justice is done. But we have had problems with visas and may have to sell our taxi to pay for the trip.”

Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now assured the family of their assistance. Gisella and her two brothers, who moved from Colombia to Europe 20 years ago, had planned for dad Fabian and his wife Elizabeth to visit them.

Speaking with Colombian website Zona Cero, Mr Marimon broke down as he recalled his last conversati­on with his daughter after an applicatio­n for his travel visa to visit her failed.

He said: “They wanted us to go there to visit them, but it was not possible because there were many obstacles.”

Police yesterday asked the public to come forward with informatio­n about the last movements of Gisella and Allison. Earlier Detective Supt Jason Murphy said: “There’s nothing that suggests the causes of death of the three individual­s are natural causes.

“Domestic abuse will be one of the lines of inquiry that we will look at as a matter of course, and you’d expect us to do that in events of this nature.

“The circumstan­ces of what occurred in the flat remain the subject of the investigat­ion. It’s just too early yet for me to be definitive around what happened in the flat.

“But I need to establish who was in the flat at the time.. the third person is yet to be identified. At this stage we keep an open mind in terms of the motive for these

deaths. I would appeal today to anyone who came into direct contact with either Gisella or Allison or communicat­ed with them via text or social media since Friday to contact detectives in Newry.

“Since [Thursday] morning, officers from a PSNI Major Investigat­ion team have been conducting a murder inquiry, following the discovery of the bodies of three people at Glin Ree Court in Newry

“I can now confirm the identities of the two females who were found dead at the address.

“They are Gisella Marimonher­rera who was 37, and her 15-year-old daughter, Allison. The body of a 38 year old man was also found at the address. I am not able to confirm his identity at this stage.

“I believe Gisella and Allison were still alive in the early hours of Sunday but family members have not been able to contact them since.

“The exact circumstan­ces of what happened remains the subject of our investigat­ion.”

“Postmortem­s are currently underway. I would expect the results to be available to us in the coming days.

“While our investigat­ion remains at an early stage, there is no evidence that anyone else was involved.

“My thoughts today are very much with their families and friends who are trying to come to terms with their loss.” Gisella moved to Spain 20 years ago with her two brothers and became naturalise­d there.

She had Allison, with her then partner, a Portuguese national.

Almost four years ago she moved to Northern Ireland where she was joined by Allison in 2017.

Det Supt Murphy said: “Allison attended Newry High School and my thoughts today are also with the teachers and pupils who knew her.

“They too are trying to come to terms with Allison’s death. I would ask that they are given the time and space to come to terms with these tragic events.

Newry High School principal Iestyn Brown said the school community has been “deeply shocked and saddened” at the news of Allison’s death.

He said: “Allison was a talented, kind, courteous and wellmanner­ed pupil with a beautiful smile.

“Staff and pupils are profoundly saddened by her death and she will be remembered with great affection.”

“Our hearts go out to Allison’s family circle; they are foremost in our thoughts and prayers at this sad time.”

Whoever did this must be evil. Gisella would not harm anyone FABIAN MARIMON COLOMBIA YESTERDAY

 ??  ?? VICTIM Allison BODY FOUND Boyfriend Russell Steele TRAGIC Gisella
VICTIM Allison BODY FOUND Boyfriend Russell Steele TRAGIC Gisella
 ??  ?? BODY Russell Steele killed himself POIGNANT Flowers at crime scene in Newry yesterday
BODY Russell Steele killed himself POIGNANT Flowers at crime scene in Newry yesterday
 ?? Picture courtesy of ?? MUCH LOVED Gisella Irina Marimon-herrera, right Gisella Irina and daughter Allison INNOCENT Allison was a popular and gifted girl BEST PALS
Picture courtesy of MUCH LOVED Gisella Irina Marimon-herrera, right Gisella Irina and daughter Allison INNOCENT Allison was a popular and gifted girl BEST PALS
 ??  ?? APPEAL Det Supt Jason Murphy yesterday
APPEAL Det Supt Jason Murphy yesterday

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom