'Haunted' owner says he has knocked down house of horrors where four died in a blaze

Tommy Fee is still haunted by the memories of the morning he tackled the blaze in 2018 trying to save three generations of one family, including a baby girl.

Unable to cope with the memories of the horrendous deaths of Denise Gossett (45), her son Roman (16), daughter Sabrina (19) and Sabrina's young daughter Morgana (15 months), he levelled the property in a bid to erase the horrors of that morning in Derrylin.

Last week, Daniel Allen admitted two counts of manslaughter in relation to Denise and Sabrina Gossett after previously pleading not guilty to murder and not guilty to one count of arson with intent to endanger life.

He denies the murder and manslaughter of Roman and Morgana, claiming he set the fire because of an alleged suicide pact and they were already dead.

The hearing, in which Tommy Fee was due to appear as a witness, has refreshed the memories the home owner and his family have desperately tried to bury.

"We fell the house, we wanted to take it away because of the memories of that day and what happened to that family, the tragedy that unfolded there," Tommy told the Sunday World last week.

"I had to go past it every day, the memories were just too hard. I still get flashbacks, I hoped that by knocking it down it would help us all involved move on.

"There was an awful lot of bad memories of what happened that day and I know I will never be able to forget but knocking down the house was a step that had to be taken and I have decided not to rebuild on the site.

"It wouldn't be right, I will rebuild on another site."

Tommy says he has been living in limbo since the four deaths.

"This has dragged on for four years, I have had no information except what I read in the press. I had so many questions, like why Daniel Allen was using the false name of Samuel Quinn?

"But the police gave me no information.

"Why were they using false names? What were they hiding from? But I suppose I will never know now, but there was something very strange going on.

"When I met them they seemed nice enough, they kept themselves to themselves. They were quiet, a bit backward and you rarely seen the partner (Denise, also known as Crystal).

"When I met him (Allen) he came across as secretive. I only met him a few times, once to fix the shower. To be honest at the time I thought there was something strange going on but that's all water under the bridge now, which is the sad thing."

Knocking down the death scene is Tommy's attempt to put what happened in the past.

"What happened still haunts me, they were burned alive and I can never forget that. Me and my neighbours tried to save them, we smashed down a door and a window but the smoke was too much.

"We are supposed to move on in all aspects of our lives. Knocking the house down was part of the healing process for all of us, me and my family who were badly effected by what happened.

"I remember everything about that morning, standing outside in bare feet roaring and shouting, trying the back door, memories I have tried to forget but know none of us involved ever will."

The family, originally from England, died in the blaze which ripped through their rented home on Molly Road in Derrylin on February 27, 2018.

Daniel Sebastian Allen (31) previously pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty to one count of arson with intent to endanger life.

However, when Allen appeared before Dungannon Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, via video-link from Maghaberry Prison last month, defence barrister Ian Turkington asked for his client to be rearraigned on the counts of murdering Denise and Sabrina Gossett.

When the charges were put to him, Allen pleaded not guilty to their murders but guilty to manslaughter "due to a suicide pact".

However, the accused still denies the murders of Roman and Morgana, claiming they were already dead.

Mr Justice O'Hara said the trial could go ahead towards the end of October but he would have to review progress in the case later next month.

The property was destroyed in the blaze, with a toy doll among the few items to escape being charred by the flames.

One heart-wrenching picture showed the doll covered in ashes, its once golden hair turned dull grey.

"I find it difficult to sleep and I've gone to the doctor to get help. My wife and daughter have also been receiving medical attention. We're hoping it won't stay with us for ever," Tommy said.