A person who was arrested for the homicide of his spouse and two kids at their dwelling in south Dublin disguised himself in ladies’s clothes to take a bus to their dwelling on the day they had been final seen alive on October 22, 2020, in response to an investigation. .
Proof has additionally emerged that the accused, Sameer Syed, was within the household dwelling for 29 days within the two months previous their deaths, in breach of bail situations imposed after he bodily assaulted his spouse, Seema Banu, earlier in that 12 months.
Syed additionally appeared to power his spouse and youngsters to file a video on 22 October 2020, during which they claimed that they’d by no means hit Ms Banu and that any marks on her physique for the reason that assault had been self-inflicted.
The our bodies of Mrs Banu (37), her daughter Asfira (11) and son Faizan (6) had been found at their dwelling in Llewellyn Courtroom, Ballinteer, Co Dublin on 28 October 2020.
A listening to of Dublin District Coroners Courtroom heard that Syed was arrested and charged with their murders a month later.
Syed, a 38-year-old laptop professional with Eir, took his personal life in his cell at Midlands Jail in Portlaoise final June, only a week earlier than he was due on trial at Central Felony Courtroom.
He had appeared in court docket just a few days earlier than the invention of the our bodies of his spouse and youngsters on fees of assault inflicting hurt to Ms Banu on Might 16, 2020.
Reason behind dying
The lead investigator into the three homicides, Detective Inspector Vivian Rock, mentioned Syed had admitted to the Garda after his arrest that he killed his spouse after breaking into the home, however attributed the deaths of their two kids to a different social gathering.
Nevertheless, Det Insp Rock mentioned this has not been confirmed to be the case and defined that Syed’s fingerprints had been found on a plastic bag discovered underneath his daughter’s head.
State pathologist, Heidi Okkers, mentioned on Friday on the second day of the inquest that autopsy examination of the three victims revealed they’d all died of asphyxiation on account of strangulation, which was in step with the scarves discovered round their necks. of the three our bodies.
The time-of-death proof offered by Dr. Okkers indicated that Mrs. Banu predeceased her two kids, a discovering that refuted Syeds’ claims that she had killed them.
Dr Okkers mentioned there was proof that exterior power from one other social gathering was used within the deaths of the 2 kids.
Whereas Ms Banu’s physique appeared like self-strangulation, Dr Okkers mentioned she believed the reason was extremely unlikely given the circumstances of the case.
A jury of six ladies and two males returned a verdict of illegal homicide in all three instances.
The inquest was proven CCTV footage of a person dressed as a lady in a coat, lengthy costume, hat and darkish glasses boarding a bus at 8.05pm on 22 October 2020, in Rathmines, the place Syed had lived for when it was restricted. from dwelling within the household dwelling as a part of his bail situations.
Det Insp Rock mentioned Syed confirmed the determine proven within the footage was Syed, who was tracked getting off at a bus cease on Stonemasons Method in Ballinteer.
He mentioned Syed’s apparel was not cultural costume, whereas different CCTV footage confirmed he modified again into his regular garments as he approached the household dwelling.
Fear
The inquest heard gardas had been summoned to the Llewellyn Courtroom home on 28 October 2020, after a Tusla social employee, Holly Nuzum, turned involved that Ms Banu was not at dwelling for an uncommon appointment , whereas all of the shutters had been closed.
Garda Detective Brian O’Neill mentioned he arrived dwelling at 11.40am and spoke to a neighbour, Vivian Balwalya, who additionally mentioned she had not seen Mrs Banu or her two kids for plenty of days .
Det Garda O’Neill mentioned he sought help from the Garda Armed Assist Unit due to concern for the household’s welfare.
Garda described forcing entry onto the property by breaking a window on a rear patio door. They rapidly seen that water was flowing via a broken ceiling above the kitchen, the place the ground was very moist.
Det Garda ONeill described going upstairs to seek out Asfira and Faizan mendacity face down facet by facet on a mattress. He then found his mom mendacity face up on a mattress in one other bed room.
The inquest heard {that a} faucet within the tub was working and had overflowed.
Det Garda O’Neill mentioned all three victims had scarves round their necks, tied on the again for the 2 kids and on the entrance for Ms Banu.
He informed the coroner, Clare Keane, that he knew each kids had been lifeless, and was sure that Mrs Banu was additionally lifeless after he touched her leg and located it was frozen.
The Inquiry additionally heard proof that Syed was on the Llewellyn Courtroom home on 22 October 2020, when Ms Banu recorded a video during which she claimed her husband had by no means assaulted her, including that the marks on her physique had been self-inflicted.
The video, recorded by Ms Banu’s daughter, confirmed her mom claiming that she repeatedly defined what had occurred to the garda and that she wrote a letter containing the identical claims of her personal free will.
Within the recording, Asfira additionally claimed that her father hadn’t hit her mom, earlier than including: Dad loves us very a lot. It would not matter how we clarify a [social workers] they don’t perceive.
Det Insp Rock mentioned the letter, which it described as Ms Banu’s remaining assertion, was a proclamation of no fault on Syed’s half and that they need to keep collectively.
Garda Detective Ciaran Byrne of the Garda Nationwide Cybercrime Bureau, informed the inquest that an examination of a Wi-Fi router within the Llewellyn Courtroom home had established that Syed’s telephone was on the property for 29 days between 20 August and 23 August. October 2020.
Abuse
The coroner and jury of six ladies and two males had been proven a sequence of video calls recovered from Ms Banus’ cell phone during which she cried as she spoke to relations in India about her husband who beat her.
Once I went to the police, he acquired a certificates saying I used to be indignant, he informed a relative in a telephone name in Might 2019.
In one other video name on Might 15, 2020, in the future earlier than she was bodily assaulted by her husband, Ms Banu acknowledged that her physique might not take it and expressed concern that her son was so scared.
I might be killed. I am unable to speak to the children, he added.
Ms. Banu mentioned that her husband was wealthy in cash and needs to do no matter he needs.
In the identical name, she warned that if something occurred to her or if she died, Syed could be accountable.
Nevertheless, there was one other video name recorded on August 9, 2020, which in response to the coroner was utterly totally different and confirmed Ms. Banu declaring that she liked her husband very a lot and folks did not perceive how a lot he liked her too.
She claimed they might not stay collectively on account of Garda’s misunderstanding of the home violence criticism.
In one other video dated 3 October 2020, Ms Banu mentioned she was taking pictures the video to point out how she inflicted marks on herself as Garda didn’t wish to perceive how the accidents had occurred.
The Garda inquiry had concerned hundreds of hours of labor, with tons of of traces of inquiry adopted.
Det Insp Rock mentioned Garda was conscious that Ms Banu and her kids had been taken to a shelter for home violence victims in Dublin on Christmas Eve 2018.
Relationships
Proof was heard on Thursday that employees at Dunnes Shops grocery store in Sandyford’s Beacon Heart had referred to as garda after Ms Banu and her kids had been crying and distressed after Syed was seen forcibly dragging and grabbing his spouse and daughter exterior from the store.
Det Insp Rock mentioned there was additionally Gardas file on Syed’s arrest on Might 16, 2020, on the household dwelling after Ms Banu was discovered unconscious.
Whereas no formal complaints had been filed towards Syed, Det Insp Rock mentioned the gardas had been glad they’d sufficient proof to pursue the case.
The witness mentioned Garda additionally knew Ms Banu had been handled in hospital in India in Might 2019 after being attacked simply days after returning dwelling for a spell along with her husband and youngsters.
The inquest was suggested that Syed had returned to Eire earlier than he might face a cost for assaulting his spouse.
Det Insp Rock famous {that a} neighbor on the household’s earlier dwelling in Sandyford had additionally knowledgeable them of an incident in March 2019, throughout which Ms Banu cried and appeared afraid of her husband, the inquest heard.
Quite a lot of Tusla social staff testified to the problem of attempting to help the household and make sure the safety of the 2 kids as Ms Banu mentioned Garda and Tusla misunderstood their home state of affairs.
Following the inquiry, the panel made plenty of suggestions, together with that there ought to be a shorter interval between the primary referral of kid safety issues to Tusla and the holding of a convention on the case, in addition to the availability of help employees who deal with catering for moms solely in instances of home violence.
The top choose mentioned supervised visits also needs to be offered by skilled help employees, with a translator if wanted.
Dr. Keane mentioned she would carry the jury’s suggestions to the eye of the right authorities.
Addressing two of Ms Banu’s nephews who had traveled from India for the inquest, the coroner expressed remorse that their first go to to Eire got here underneath such tragic circumstances.
Eire
The person was acquitted of homicide for the stabbing of Mayo
Dr. Kenae mentioned regardless of all of the trauma and anguish she and her kids had gone via, their voices had been solely a whisper and so they had no likelihood to discover their full potential.
The coroner famous that they’d died in a means that the majority of us couldn’t think about.
In case you have been affected by any of the problems raised on this article, you may contact Womens Assist (24-hour toll-free quantity on 1800-341 900, e mail helpline@womensaid.ie) OR Mens Assist Eire (confidential helpline on 01-554 3811, e mail hi there@mensaid.ie) for help and data.Protected Eire can be outlined a variety of native companies and helplines a safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-get-help/.
In case of emergency, at all times dial 999/112.
