Gardaí are working closely with police in the North on the investigation into the murder of Mary Ward in Belfast.

A 26-year-old man was yesterday arrested in Dublin on suspicion of murdering the 22-year-old mother-of-one.

Mary was found dead at her home on Melrose Street on Tuesday, October 1st; however, she was last seen alive six days earlier.

Gardaí are investigating the murder under the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act 1976, which extends the criminal law of the State to certain acts perpetrated in Northern Ireland.

The PSNI has now referred the matter to Northern Ireland’s Police Ombudsman due to officers’ previous engagements with Mary.

Police at the scene of a property on Melrose Street in Belfast as part of their investigation into the murder of Mary Ward, 08-10-2024. Image: HeadlineX_ / Alamy

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said police first interacted with Mary on September 4th when she informed them that she had been assaulted.

Police responded within minutes and a suspect was arrested.

He said Mary called police again on September 10th and officers called in to speak to her on September 24th and spoke to her by phone on September 25th.

Police eventually found her body on October 1st when they called to her home over a “totally unconnected” matter and saw a woman crouched over against the upstairs front window of the house.

Police now believe she was killed on or around September 25^th – the day she spoke to officers by phone.

Chief Constable Beck said the force is now fully cooperating with the police watchdog.

“We have referred this to the Ombudsman to ensure that there is that independent assessment in terms of, have we done everything we possibly could?” he said.

“I think it is right and proper that they are given time and space to make that assessment and we will cooperate fully in terms of giving them time to make that assessment.”

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck speaking to the media at PSNI HQ in Belfast on the murder of Mary Ward, 08-10-2024. Image: HeadlineX_ / Alamy

The man arrested by Gardaí yesterday remains in custody in Dublin.

“First of all I’d like to express my deepest sympathies to Mary Ward’s family and friends who are experiencing unbearable suffering knowing that their loved one was taken from them in such a cruel way,” said Chief Constable Beck.

“Whilst our investigation is progressing at pace, we are still working to establish the exact circumstances of Mary’s death.

“I am appalled that there has been another murder of a woman in Northern Ireland.

“Mary is the fourth woman to be murdered in Northern Ireland in just six weeks.  This is simply unacceptable and too many women are losing their lives at the hands of men.”

Chief Constable Beck noted that another young person, 24-year-old Donegal man Kyle McDermott was also killed in the North this week, adding “I must emphasise that these acts of violence have no place in our society”.

He said police are “absolutely determined that we will be relentless in our pursuit of the perpetrators” of both crimes.