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Cian Stacey and Jessica Dalton appear in court over fatal Waterford attack

The two defendants each face three charges connected with the attack that killed Philip and Kim English and their two sons. Both are due back in court on Tuesday.

NewsJaws DeskEditorial desk

Published 17 Oct 2026, 18:20 BST2 min read

Exterior of Waterford Courthouse beside the People's Park. — Waterford Courthouse beside the People's Park, photographed in 2019. This is a file photograph of the Waterford courthouse, not the Clonmel court where the defendants appeared. THE NEW COURT HOUSE IN WATERFORD IS LOCATED BESIDE THE PEOPLE'S PARK (OPENED IN APRIL 2018-155350 - Flickr - infomatique — William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland — William Murphy, “THE NEW COURT HOUSE IN WATERFORD IS LOCATED BESIDE THE PEOPLE'S PARK (OPENED IN APRIL 2018-155350)” (resized and converted to WebP). CC BY-SA 2.0.Image source Image licence: CC BY-SA 2.0

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Cian Stacey and Jessica Dalton appeared at Clonmel District Court in County Tipperary on Saturday, 17 October, on charges connected with an attack on a home in Waterford, Ireland, that killed four members of one family. Both were remanded for further court appearances on Tuesday, according to Press Association and RTÉ reports of the hearing.

Stacey, 21, and Dalton, 31, each face one charge of criminal damage and two charges of assault causing serious harm. RTÉ reported that the assault charges concern two people who cannot be named for legal reasons. The charges are allegations; the court reports do not establish who carried out the fatal attack.

Who died in the Waterford attack

Philip English, his wife Kim English, and their sons Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died in the attack on their home on Tuesday, 13 October, PA reported. The family's funeral is due to take place on Monday, 19 October. The court appearance followed the charging of a man and woman arrested on Thursday, according to Metro.

What happened at Clonmel District Court

Judge Andrew Gubbins presided over Saturday evening's special sitting. Detective Sergeant Michael Burke told the court that Dalton made no reply when she was charged at Waterford Garda Station at 2.45pm. Detective Sergeant Brian O’Callaghan said Stacey made no reply when charged one minute earlier, PA reported.

Defence lawyer Ciarán Murphy represented both defendants. RTÉ reported that he made no application for bail in either case. PA reported that Dalton consented to being remanded in custody; Murphy also applied for legal aid on her behalf, saying she was a lone parent and was not employed.

Dalton, who has an address in Waterford city, was remanded in custody to appear at Waterford District Court on Tuesday, 20 October. Stacey, described in court as having no fixed address, was remanded to appear at the same court by video link that day. Murphy also sought legal aid for Stacey, PA reported.