Foreign national arrested by gardaí over murder of Mary Ward in Belfast

A man believed to be a foreign national has been arrested by gardai in connection with the murder of Mary Ward in south Belfast.

The development came as Alliance Policing Board member Nuala McAllister called on PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher to meet the oversight body after his force referred itself to the Police Ombudsman over its dealings with murder victim Ms Ward before she was killed.

The mother-of-one was found dead in a house at Melrose Street in south Belfast on October 1.

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It is understood she had suffered wounds to her neck.

The 22-year-old was last seen alive on Wednesday September 25, throughout the day in Dungannon, Grand Central Bus Station in Belfast and Melrose Street.

Concerns have been raised after it emerged that in the weeks before her murder Ms Ward had reported to police that she was the victim of a violent crime.

The ombudsman’s office is now investigating the PSNI’s response to that report.

Gardai say they have launched a murder investigation after the suspect, aged in his twenties, was arrested adding it will work closely with the PSNI.

At a PSNI press conference on Wednesday, Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck offered his sympathies to Ms Ward’s family “who are experiencing unbearable suffering knowing that their loved one was taken from them in such a cruel way”.

“Whilst our investigation is progressing at pace, we are still working to establish the exact circumstances of Mary’s death,” he said.

He said he was “appalled” at the death of another woman in the north, the fourth in six weeks.

“This is simply unacceptable and too many women are losing their lives at the hands of men,” he said.

The senior PSNI man also referenced the death of Kyle McDermott in Strabane, Co Tyrone, on Sunday.

A man has been charged with his manslaughter.

He said police have recently revised its Tackling Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Action Plan.

“We are absolutely determined that we will be relentless in our pursuit of the perpetrators and cannot allow another woman to die as a result of violence at the hands of men,” he added.

Concerns about the police handling of Ms Ward’s case have emerged amid the ongoing controversy over the PSNI’s investigation into the murder of Katie Simpson four years ago.

Ms Simpson (21) died in hospital almost a week after an incident in Co Derry in August 2020.

Her murder was originally treated by police as suicide.

Jonathan Creswell, who was later accused of raping and killing her, took his own life on the second day of his trial in April.

Ms McAllister has raised serious concerns about the original PSNI investigation into her death.

The north Belfast representative said Mr Boutcher should attend the board.

“I am raising with the chair that this is a very serious incident, I have obviously been raising questions about Katie Simpson in the investigation for a long time,” she said.

“Whilst we do have to be careful because there is a criminal investigation that’s live, and an ombudsman’s investigation that’s live, there are obviously really disturbing issues here and the fact the police have self-referred themselves is quite significant.

“So, we will wait and see the outcome of that investigation.”

Ms McAllister said the public needs to have confidence in the police.

“From my perspective as a Policing Board member and what I want is that every woman and girl has complete confidence in the police in reporting crimes and ensuring that the police are able from day one able to act on that confidence in the best way possible so we can eradicate violence against women and girls.”

Ms McAllister said it was “really disturbing” that Ms Ward is the fourth woman to be killed in six weeks.

“I think first and foremost all of us need to think about Mary and her loved ones and it is quite clear that there is a lot of work that still needs done to ensure that confidence in the police is there.”

Ms McAllister referenced different initiatives launched by Stormont departments and the PSNI to tackle violence adding they all need to work together.

“If one of them fails then that means a whole society we are failing to protect women and girls and I won’t stop asking questions until every woman and girl in Northern Ireland feels safe.

“The police self-referred it, I think that’s significant, I think it’s self-reflective of them to actually refer it and so we can only go from there.”

The PSNI said the chief constable “will provide an update at the next Policing Board meeting”.