Publication date:
A man responsible for killing four members of one family in County Fermanagh, including a 15-month-old old girl, was today sentenced at Belfast Crown Court.
Daniel Sebastian Allen was sentenced to a tariff of 29 years after pleading guilty to killing three generations of a family whose bodies were discovered after a fire at their home in Derrylin in February 2018.
Allen had previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Denise Gosset (45), plus three charges of murdering Denise’s children Roman (16) and Sabrina (19) and Sabrina’s baby daughter Morgana. Allen (33) also admitted one charge of arson.
Head of the PPS Serious Crime Unit Ciaran McQuillan said Allen’s cruel behaviour was impossible to comprehend.
“Daniel Allen has been sentenced to one of the longest tariffs in prison imposed by the Courts in recent years for killing three generations of one family, including two teenagers and a toddler,” he said.
“He callously took the lives of those close to him for reasons that may never be fully understood. His actions were grotesque and shocking and have inflicted terrible suffering on his victims’ surviving family and the wider community that they will have to carry for many years to come.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland carried out a painstaking investigation into this case. The prosecution team in the PPS’s Serious Crime Unit worked closely with them in what was a complex and multi-jurisdictional case to help build a robust court case against Allen.
“The scenes encountered by police, other emergency services and members of the community who tried to help Denise and her family were truly harrowing. We thank every witness who was prepared to assist in the event of a trial. Whilst Allen’s guilty pleas have saved the victims’ family the ordeal of a trial, we hope the conclusion of this prosecution can bring some small sense of closure to all involved.”
ENDS