Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Tragic mum was found with a ligature around her neck in one room and the two children found lying face down in another bedroom..’
Tragic family may have been killed ‘some time’ ago Man joined by his lawyer walks into Garda station
A YOUNG mum and her two children were found strangled to death in their home, sources said yesterday.
Tragic Seema Banu Syed, 37, her daughter Affira, 11, and six-year-old son Fazam were discovered in the house in Llewellyn Court, Ballinteer, South Dublin, shortly before noon.
Sources told the Mirror they may have been dead for several days before the grim discovery was made.
Neighbours alerted police when the family, who are originally from India, hadn’t been seen recently.
Officers from the Republic’s Armed Support Unit forced their way into the house and made the horrific find.
Seema was discovered upstairs in one bedroom with a ligature around her neck. Her children were found dead in another room.
Seema’s husband and the children’s father Sameer Syed, 36, was not at home.
Detectives immediately sealed off the house, declaring it a crime scene and began a massive manhunt.
A photo of the suspect, who was known to the dead woman, was circulated to Garda stations, with a warning the fugitive might be armed and dangerous.
ACCOMPANIED
A man later presented himself at a Garda station accompanied by a solicitor and is helping with inquiries.
A senior source said: “The killer is a right bad b*****d.
“He choked the life out of the mother. She was found face up with a ligature around her neck.
“The two little children were discovered l ying f ace down . It’s shocking beyond belief. Nothing but evil.”
The triple murderer tried to hide any tracks by damaging the interior of the house, hoping to get rid of any evidence that would tie the culprit to the killings.
Gardai confirmed neighbours raised the alarm after the deceased had not been seen for “some time”.
It is understood the children would sometimes go to school with other neighbours.
Residents in Llewellyn Court and nearby streets were in a state of shock last night.
Many locals did not know the Syeds as it is believed the family had been renting the house for less than a year.
Neighbours said the children would rarely be seen playing in the street but would sometimes be heard in the back garden. One resident of Llewellyn
Park said: “It’s awful, terrible. We wouldn’t know them at all. We’ll put a few flowers down in coming days.
“We’d see the children out the back garden a few times.”
Supt Paul Reidy, from Blackrock Garda station, gave a brief press conference near the house.
He said: “Officers were called here this afternoon to the scene where we discovered three fatalities, an adult female and children aged 11 and six. We immediately conducted an investigation.
“We’ve called on the services of the State Pathologist and a technical examination is being conducted.
“The scene has been preserved. We’re treating the deaths as unexplained at the moment.
“The results of the postmortems will determine the course of our investigation .” Supt Reidy would not comment on if anyone else is wanted in connection with the tragedies.
He added: “We’re investigating the circumstances around the death of the three individuals at the moment.”
In another statement, a Garda spokesman urged people to ignore and not contribute to online speculation.
The spokesman said: “Gardai are aware of comments on social media. These are uninformed and unhelpful to the criminal investigation.
“We appeal to members of the public not to circulate this social media speculation.”
Last night, gardai had made contact with the husband Sameer, who is in Ireland on his second work visa.
Both Seema and Sameer, although from India, had been settled in Ireland
SUPT PAUL REIDY BALLINTEER, DUBLIN YESTERDAY
for some time. Around 100 people gathered in a local park for a candlelit vigil to pay their respects the tragic victims.
Jenny Tian, who lives on the same street, said she had seen Mrs Syed pick up her boy from school or shopping.
She added: “In October I saw the boy and girl come out.
“They never made any trouble. They would always say, ‘Hi’.” Another
neighbour at the vigil said she saw the Garda armed response unit arrive at the house at 11.30am.
Alison, who didn’t want to give her surname, added it was a nice area and the news was “surreal”.
She said: “I heard Llewellyn on the news and I couldn’t believe it.
“It’s beyond tragic. So young, the mother as well.”
Another young resident said she heard the terrible news through social media. She added: “It was so sudden, I ’ve probably seen them walking around.”
Staff from the children’s school also attended the vigil.
A number of flower bouquets and candles have been placed on the footpath outside the house, which remains cordoned off with gardai posted.
Offering her sympathy, Justice
Minister Helen Mcentee said it was a “very tragic case”.
She added: “Obviously, there’s an ongoing investigation but just to offer my condolences to the families that are affected by this.
“It’s a very tragic incident and we will support the gardai in their work in this regard.”
Local Fine Gael TD Neal Richmond also told of his shock and disbelief. He
said: “This is truly harrowing news that has left many in what is a very quiet and close suburban community completely stunned.
“The family was relatively new to the area and not that well known. It is just an awful situation.
“Locally, we are all thinking of all of those impacted by this senseless tragedy.”