Busker accused of murdering Colombian partner and teenage daughter in Newry apartment – said to have ‘loved the Lord’

The bodies of Giselle (Irina) Marimon Herrera, 37, and her 15-year-old daughter Allison were discovered at an apartment in the city’s Glin Ree Court on March 7.

Giselle’s partner Russell Steele, 38, was also found dead at the property and police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Detectives believe both victims were strangled by Steele, a native of Kilmarnock in Scotland, before he killed himself.

Following the brutal murders, news outlets in Colombia reported that Giselle’s father, Fabian Marimon, was considering selling his taxi for the chance to “say goodbye” to the daughter he spoke to regularly but had not seen for seven years.

Mr Marimon has been quoted as describing the killer as “evil” and “not normal”.

Graham Conquer, 36, grew up in Kilmarnock with Steele and shared the ups and downs of homelessness, drug addiction, and then rehabilitation with a ‘The Haven’ Christian charity helping drug and alcohol abusers near Glasgow.

“Russell loved the Lord with all his heart and soul but something’s gone wrong,” he said.

Mr Conquer, a former soldier who now suffers from PTSD, said his friend was a skilled in mixed martial arts (MMA) who had competed at a high level, but said he had never known him to be violent outside of the fighting arena.

“I saw him being aggressive once when he had been drinking, but it was really unusual for him to drink. He loved the church and he loved his guitar.

“I just can’t imagine he would kill anybody. It was Russell who saved me when I was homeless,” Mr Conquer told the News Letter.

Giselle’s parents are expected to travel to Northern Ireland after a number of fund-raising efforts to pay for flights and accommodation – including a facility set up at Newry Credit Union to accept donations.

Newry High School pupil Allison was born in Spain but had lived in Northern Ireland since 2017. Her mother was originally from Barranquilla in Colombia but settled in the Newry area four years ago after living in Spain.

School principal Iestyn Brown said the entire school community has been “deeply shocked and saddened” at the news of Allison’s death.

“Allison was a talented, kind, courteous and well-mannered pupil with a beautiful smile,” he added.

Giselle’s father told the Daily Mirror: “Irina was beautiful. She would never harm anyone. I don’t understand how someone could do this. They have to be evil. Whoever did this is not normal.”