Fermanagh murders: Victim was 'devoted mum to Sara and James'

BBC News

a day ago

A woman who was fatally shot alongside her two teenage children in County Fermanagh was a "devoted mum" and a "really lovely person", colleagues have said. Vanessa Whyte, who was 45, was killed in a gun attack at a house in Maguiresbridge on Wednesday morning. Her 13-year-old daughter, Sara Rutledge, and her 14-year old son, James Rutledge, also died as a result of the shooting.A man from the same household who sustained gunshot wounds at the scene remains seriously injured in hospital in Belfast.
On Wednesday, police said that a suspected triple murder and attempted suicide was "one line of inquiry" for detectives.Ms Whyte was an experienced veterinary surgeon who was originally from Barefield, County Clare, in the Republic of Ireland.At the time of her death she was employed by Stormont's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).But before taking that role, the mother-of-two spent about eight years working at Lakeland Vets in Derrygonnelly, County Fermanagh."Vanessa was lovely. She was just such an enthusiastic, hard-working colleague," said its practice manager, Julie Wood."She was a devoted mum to Sara and James. I used to love chatting her about them."She was always full of what they were doing - they were doing so well in school. "They were so sporty and yeah, she was just devoted to them. It's just heartbreaking" Ms Wood told BBC News NI. Both children attended Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and were members of local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) teams and Enniskillen Cricket Club.
'Full of life and full of enthusiasm'
Another of Ms Whyte's former colleagues at Lakeland Vets said she had a "great personality" and was "very friendly and down to earth"."Vanessa joined our practice in 2005," said principal vet Innes Redmond. "She was incredibly talented, hard-working, well respected by our local farming community and pet owners."His colleague Ms Wood added: "She just had a great vibe off her - full of life I would have said, and full of enthusiasm."I just can't believe it [that] she's not here anymore. It's very hard to put into words, to be honest."
Grandmother 'broken hearted' over deaths
Ms Whyte's family in County Clare have been "shattered" by the murders, according to their local parish priest in Barefield."It's been a terrible tragedy - a senseless tragedy," Fr Tom Fitzpatrick told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.He explained that Ms Whyte's widowed mother Mary is a Eucharist minister in his parish and a "very devout woman" who visits Barefield's church almost every day."When I talked to her this morning, she was broken-hearted," the priest said. He said Mary Whyte had been visiting Knock Catholic shrine in County Mayo on the day of the murders and she was given the news by her son when she returned home. "The shockwaves that have gone through the parish have been palpable and felt by everybody," he said. Fr Fitzpatrick added that, even though the sun was shining in Barefield on Thursday, "a cloud of darkness has descended upon the place here".
Shortly after responding to the shootings at a house on Drummeer Road, the PSNI began a murder investigation.A police cordon was still in place on Thursday and mourners have been leaving flowers and sympathy messages close by. Among them was Maguiresbridge resident Josephine Faulkner, who told BBC News NI the village is in "pure shock" over the killings."This is so sad for all of the family and neighbours," she said."She was so young, and the two little angels."The PSNI were alerted to the scene by an emergency call from inside the house on Wednesday and officers and paramedics were confronted with a "harrowing scene"."Everyone needs prayers at this time, including the police and ambulance workers." Ms Faulkner said. "I don't know how the services do it, I pray for them every night."
'Our community is devastated'
The Reverend Lindsey Farrell, from the Church of Ireland's Clogher Diocese, said the three deaths had caused great upset among parishioners in the area."As a community, we're devastated. We're numb, everyone is in shock," she said. "But this is a strong community here in Maguiresbridge and we stand united. "We stand together in support of this family and of all who have been impacted by this and we are keeping them all in our prayers."