Watch: Couple arrested over murder of tragic gran Josephine Ray in Tipperary insist: 'We are innocent'
Exclusive: Josephine’s own daughter Mary Ray and her partner Hasan Ali Gori - who both lived with her - today openly acknowledged that they were recently arrested on suspicion of her murder
The couple arrested over the murder of tragic gran Josephine Ray today insist: “We are innocent.”
Gardai believe Josephine (89) was murdered in her own bed at her home in St Joseph’s Park in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, in the early hours of Sunday August 4.
Speaking exclusively to the Irish Mirror - Josephine Ray’s own daughter Mary Ray - and her partner Hasan Ali Gori, who both lived with her, today openly acknowledged that they were recently arrested on suspicion of her murder.
READ MORE:Granddaughter of murdered Josephine Ray, 89, tells funeral: 'She had a great heart - a true lady'
READ MORE: Watch: Mourners arrive to pay final respects to murder victim Josephine Ray
But they insisted: “We are not murderers. We know nothing about it. It’s a false accusation. It was upsetting to be arrested,” Hasan, who says he and Mary are now also homeless, insisted. We are both innocent.” Meanwhile Mary told us: “I told them (the gardai), they accused me, and I said I didn’t do it. Why would I do that to my own mother?
“I couldn’t do it like. I couldn’t do a thing like that. I loved her.” Mary told us that she found her mother dead in her bed on the morning of August 4 - and was completely shocked. “It was a surprise. I was very shocked. I found her that morning. I got up that morning and I was making tea. I went to check on my mother. I left her for a while because I thought she was asleep.
“The blanket was over her mouth and I thought she was sleeping. The next time I checked on her after a while and I said Jesus. I pulled the blanket back from her mouth and she was just not moving. I was nervous. I had said that’s unusual she’s usually up and all that in the mornings. I asked her Josie do you want a tea and she wasn’t answering me.”
Mary says an ambulance was called and she was later stunned to learn that gardai were investigating her mother’s death as murder. Both Mary and Hasan were arrested on suspicion of murder - and today told us they were “shocked” to be accused.
“We didn’t do this,” Hasan said. "I am not a murderer. We are not murderers." “I did not do that. I swear to God I did not,” Mary added. Hasan insisted to the Irish Mirror that he had gone to bed that night and never entered Josephine’s room.
“(Gardai arrested me) over Josephine Ray’s murder. I said I don’t know anything. I did not enter her room,” he said. “I didn’t enter the room of Josephine Ray. She lived downstairs. I was shocked. Scared. Scared to be arrested,” he said.
Acknowledging she was also arrested on suspicion of murder, Mary said: “They said the same to me. I lived with my mother. I said to them I didn’t do it. Someone said she got murdered. Someone killed her.”
Hasan claimed that he discovered the front door of the house was open that morning. “We found the door open in the morning. The door was not locked,” he said.
The pair said they were now both homeless and were wandering the streets - sometimes staying in hostels. “We can’t stay in town. It’s not nice,” Mary said, claiming that people were calling Hasan names. “All this rumour going around. Because of everything going around,” Hasan added.
“So let them (gardai) trace everything. They will verify whatever happened to the lady. They have to verify. I didn’t go in that room, you understand? I don’t want someone to place a false accusation on me. How many years did I live with Josephine Ray?”
Hasan said gardai interviewed him three times about the events of that night, and he claims he told them he didn’t know what happened. Mary added that she has no reason to lie and insisted she had nothing to do with her mother’s death - and said she wanted the person responsible to get caught.
“No I don’t tell lies. Why should I. I don’t know like.” Asked if she had any thoughts on who might be responsible Mary responded: “Responsible? Hasan then told Mary: “Say you don’t know. Mary then responded: “I don’t know. If I knew, sure I’d love to know. She loved me. It’s not nice what happened her. I’d like the person who done it to get caught.”
Speaking about life with her mother she said: “It was very good. We lived together. She was mad about me. We used to go off down town and all that. I made her a cup of tea with biscuits that night. (The night she died). I said Josie I’ll see you in the morning so.
“Then I saw her that morning and I got an awful fright. I got a terrible fright. I’m still shocked over that. I’m crying over it too. It was terrible,” she said. Speaking about their now homeless situation, the couple said they’re left wandering the streets - and are unable to return to the house they lived in with Josephine.
“I can’t. It’s too sad for me. There’s too many memories of my mother in that house,” Mary said. “Sometimes we get accommodation, sometimes in hostels. It’s very hard to live, it’s not easy on us.” Hasan added: “Just like that we’re homeless. We have nowhere to go. We are on the street because of what happened. We have to keep away for the moment.”
The couple told us that gardai have also seized some “items” from them, including a phone. “They accuse us. I have to defend myself. You understand I can’t let that be. How can someone accuse me of something I did not do,” Hasan added.
“I say how many years have I been with this lady? I am not a murderer.”
We also asked the couple about ongoing trouble at Josephine’s home over the past few months, and on the very night before she was found dead. The pair acknowledged that gardai were called to the house, and claimed they were having a “conversation” with one another that Josephine didn’t like.
“Many things were happening,” Hasan said. “I don’t know what happened, she saw me and Mary talking. She didn’t want to see me and her chatting. She was upset and so we came outside,” he said. “She was banging the stick. Shouting.”
However Mary insisted that the issue that saw gardai called to the house that night was resolved. “We fixed all that up, we fixed it up,” she said. That was going on all the time.”
Asked who they believed might be responsible for Josephine’s death, the pair both said they did not know. “I don’t know who did it, I’m not sure. I’m not sure myself. I’d love to know who did it. She was my mother like,” Mary said. “We say we are innocent all the way. I will say I’m innocent all the way,” Hasan said.
Gardai continue to appeal for witnesses to come forward, particularly those who were in the St Joseph’s Park area of Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, between 8pm on Saturday 3rd August 2024, and mid-day on Sunday 4th August 2024.
"Additionally, individuals with video recordings, including motorists with dash cams, from the area within the timeframe are asked to provide footage to investigating Gardai. Anyone with any additional information in connection with this investigation is asked to contact Nenagh Garda Station at 067 50450, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station."
Josie was remembered as a “true lady” who was “one of a kind” at her funeral mass at St Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh earlier this month.
Josie’s granddaughter Rosie told mourners: “My nanny Josie as we all knew her was a lady.
"She loved her style. Always in glitter. She loved her jewellery. She was some woman for dancing and anything that was on in town she would be at it with my mother Sarah. Always up for a laugh and a dance. She had a great heart. She always said to me, ‘Rosie I will never forget you for doing that'.
"Just the little things I would do for her like going to the shop and making cups of tea. She really appreciated everything. She was a great woman of glamour. She had great time for everyone that knew her. She is a park legend. And all who knew her from the park will always remember her. I will miss her. Josie you were one of a kind. A true lady. We will all love you always.”
Sign up to the Irish Mirror's daily newsletter here and get breaking news and top stories direct to your inbox.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
