‘It’s time to say goodbye’ – inquest hears of final text sent by mum before she murdered her two children in car fire

Lynn Egar (49) of Winetown, Rathowen, Co Westmeath, is serving two life sentences for the murders of Thelma Dennany (5) and Michael (2) at Lackan, Multyfarnham, on September 9, 2022.

At the inquest yesterday in Mullingar, Coroner Raymond Mahon said two “entirely innocent babies” had their lives cut short in the most “harrowing of circumstances”.

A number of depositions were read into the court on behalf of a series of witnesses who came across the blaze shortly after 3pm.

Niall Smyth, an off-duty garda, told of how he and his wife had had a conversation with Egar at the gates of St Cremin’s National School in Multyfarnham, where Thelma had been a pupil, on the day of the murders.

In his deposition, Mr Smyth said Egar showed no sign of “trauma or distress”, making eye contact while appearing clear and steady on her feet.

“To me, she was just another parent picking up her child from school,” he said.

Testimonies were also heard from Ross McCarron and Hasam Aminu, who came across the fire a short time later.

Mr McCarron, who had been on his way from Cavan to Mullingar, said he had been driving along the Coole to Multyfarnham road when he noticed a car at a “bit of an angle” with a van pulled up close by.

Mr McCarron said he initially thought both drivers were in conversation.

However, as he got closer, he saw smoke billowing out of the car and Mr Aminu physically trying to haul Egar from the front passenger seat of the car.

“He got to the car and he opened the passenger door and I noticed he was struggling with a woman,” he said.

“He tried to drag her out of the car, but she struggled and tried to get back into the car.”

The inquest heard how Mr Aminu and Mr McCarron both rang emergency services.

Mr Aminu said after pulling Egar from the vehicle, he noticed a young child, which later turned out to be Michael, sitting with his back to the ­windscreen.

After pulling him from the blaze, Mr Aminu said he immediately knew the injuries sustained by Michael were life-threatening.

Nurse Sinead McMahon, who arrived on the scene after collecting her two children from school, said she noticed a car “totally engulfed in flames,” saying: “I never saw anything like it before.”

Ms McMahon said she carried out CPR on two-year-old Michael for “six to seven minutes” before paramedics arrived.

The inquest also heard evidence from firefighters Stephen Owen and Alfie Devine, who told how it was only after a discussion with Egar inside the ambulance that they realised a second child was still inside the car.

Mr Devine told of rushing to the ­vehicle and noticing a body lying in the rear-passenger footwell of the car.

Sgt Jimmy Cronnelly said gardaí had been called to the scene at around the same time Egar sent a text message to a ­family member, saying: “It was time to say goodbye.”

Egar was later arrested, charged and in November 2023 sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to both murders.

State pathologist SallyAnne Collis carried out post-mortem examinations on both Michael and Thelma.

She said Michael sustained 70pc burns to his body and that burns caused by the fire could have, on their own, proved independently fatal.

Toxicology reports found elevated levels of carbon monoxide and carboxyhaemoglobin in his system.

In the case of both children, she said her findings were that the cause of death was complications of a vehicle fire.

Dr Collis confirmed, in response to a query from solicitor for the family, Anthony Feeney, that no medication or traces of sedation had been found in either of the children.

In response to a further question about whether an accelerant had been found inside the vehicle, Inspector Tom Quinn said an examination of a rear-passenger door frame had returned positive results.

Coroner Raymond Mahon advised the jury that a verdict of unlawful death was “appropriate and proper”.

That verdict was confirmed less than two minutes later when the jury returned from its deliberations, prompting Mr Mahon to express his own sympathy to the family of the children.

“It’s very difficult to put it into words the horrendous way this situation arose,” he said, describing both Thelma and Michael as “entirely innocent babies” who had their lives cut short in the most “harrowing of circumstances”.