The man who murdered eight-year-old Malika Noor Al Katib took her life in front of her mother during a fight about social media use, it has emerged.
As first reported in the Irish Mirror, the man being questioned for the murder had only come back to Ireland days before the horrific incident.
The suspect, a foreign national in his 30s, was released from prison in the United Kingdom recently. He had served a sentence for a fraud-related offence. He then came back to New Ross in Co Wexford where he had been living for several years.
The man returned to New Ross shortly before the horror attack. Malika and her mother Alisha Noor Al Katib were both stabbed in the family home on William Street in the town late on Sunday night.
"He only came back a matter of days before the stabbings," a source told The Irish Mirror, "He had been serving a prison sentence in England. As soon as he got out, he came back to New Ross."
Malika's mum Alisha, who was stabbed, has told friends that the row that led to the attack started because the man was not happy that Alisha had access to social media platforms.
Malika, who was a student at New Ross Educate Together National School, was in bed when the row started at around 11.40 pm on Sunday night. The little girl heard her mum screaming and ran to see what was happening.
A source said that Malika ran to help her mum before the man turned the knife on her and cut the girl's throat in front of her mother.
The man then turned the knife on himself but received only superficial wounds. He was taken to University Hospital Waterford along with Malika and Alisha after Gardai rushed to the scene when neighbours raised the alarm.
Medics fought to save Malika, but she died in the early hours of Monday morning.
Alisha received serious stab wounds which are not life-threatening.
Local Imam Rashid Munir said this morning that she intends to attend Malika's funeral, which had been planned for today but as the girl's body has not yet been released to the family it is now expected to take place later this week.
Gardai are today still questioning the suspect on suspicion of Malika's murder who was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after he was discharged from hospital in Waterford.
