Dutch man arrested in Ireland after mother's fatal stabbing; husband seriously injured
Police in Ireland arrested a Dutch man in his 30s in connection with a brutal stabbing that left his mother dead, and her Dutch husband seriously injured. The incident happened on Saturday at the victims’ home in Kilnavert, which is a few kilometres outside of Ballyconnell, a town in the northern County Cavan.
The victims were identified by local media as Annie Heyneman, 50, who is originally from the area. Authorities pronounced her dead at the scene. Her husband, Henk Heyneman, 60, was taken to an area hospital. The two raised their five children in the town, who are now all adult aged.
One of those children was arrested at a snack bar in Ballyconnell at about 9:40 p.m. on Saturday, not long after the murder. He entered the eatery with a gash on his left hand, and told the owner to call the gardaí police service, and to also ask for two ambulances.
“He was very upset and nervous. At that time, I didn’t know what happened,” said the snack bar owner, Arshad Qayyaum, when speaking with the Irish Times. “A short time afterwards gardaí came along and put cuffs on him. He was crying inside the van and not saying anything. He didn’t put up any resistance. I was very shocked about what happened.
”No other suspects were being sought for the crime, police told RTE. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities were searching for witnesses and camera footage recorded in the area from about an hour before the stabbing.
The woman was well-respected and held in high regard in the region. Her apparent murder has shocked residents of Kilnavert and the greater Ballyconnell area.
“It has been the only thing on the mind of the local community, the loss of a person in such circumstances, they are shocked and every thought and prayer is with the family during this sad time,” said local politician Brendan Smith when speaking with BBC Radio Ulster.
“Everybody is devastated. Ballyconnell is a quiet town. The like of that doesn’t happen around here,” said another resident, Michael Smith, when speaking with the Irish Times.
Ballyconnell resident Francis Donohoe told the news outlet that she was a “pure lady and one of the best neighbours you could have. If you were in trouble, she’d be standing beside you.” He said he knew her his entire life.“What took place was terrible. It will take a few days for the truth to come out.”
