Garda Golden (36), a married father of three, was killed while escorting Mackin’s partner Siobhan Phillips home to collect belongings after she made a domestic abuse complaint.
Advertisement
The woman is in critical condition in Beaumont hospital, while the perpetrator Adrian Crevan Mackin (24) also died.
He is then believed to have taken his own life.
He said that it was not long ago that Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was murdered in the same Garda district and that the authorities were still looking for those responsible for the “cruel and heartless” crime.
Mackin’s address at the time was Craigaveen Close in Newry, although it is thought he may have also lived in Hilltown and Rostrevor over the years.
The GRA said bail laws, manpower and protocols for responding to domestic incidents will all have to be addressed in the wake of Garda Tony Golden’s death.
A Green Party councillor for Omeath, Mark Deary, who’s a neighbour of Ms Phillips’ family, said the village was stunned and saddened by the violence which he described as an assault on the whole community.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Irish President Michael D Higgins both paid tribute to Garda Golden.
The Commissioner said that the murdered policeman was a proud family man whose death was an “unthinkable” loss to his wife and children.
Spokesman Dermot O’Brien said: “This awful, terrible news is the deepest fear of every police family”.
Garda Golden has been hailed by the Garda Commissioner as a hero, and his colleagues will gather for a private prayer service in his memory at Dundalk Garda station today.
“I want to express my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the garda who has so tragically lost his life while responding to this incident”, he said.
“It put that into perspective very quickly”, he said. “His death will be mourned by the entire nation, grateful for the service which he gave to it”, she said.
“They have to start standing up and realising what the problems are in An Garda Siochana, manpower, resources, protocols – it’s not just going to be solved by technology and computerisation”.
“Like me, they are very upset by this tragic incident which has devastated families and rocked the peaceful parish community in attractive Omeath”, he said.
Advertisement
Gardai who are killed in the line of duty are entitled to be commemorated in a State funeral.
