‘Valued’ children’s nurse murdered in Northern Ireland

Karen Cummings, 40, died on Saturday, 14 December after police found her unconscious with a serious head inquiry at a property in Banbridge.

"We have all been shocked and saddened by her untimely death"

Southern Health and Social Care Trust

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has now arrested two men – one aged 42 and another in his 30s – on suspicion of her murder.

The PSNI described the incident as a “brutal and senseless murder” and said its investigations to establish what happened were still in the early stages.

Ms Cummings was a children’s nurse working at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, run by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

She joined the Nursing and Midwifery Council register in 2018 and is listed as being an independent prescriber.

A spokesperson for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are with Karen’s family, friends and colleagues.

"Karen was a valued member of our staff and we have all been shocked and saddened by her untimely death.

"Karen will be very sadly missed and remembered always especially by her paediatric nursing colleagues at Daisy Hill Hospital.”

According to the BBC, some of Ms Cummings’ colleagues were among those who visited the scene to lay floral tributes in the wake of her death.

PSNI is appealing to anyone with information or footage that could help its investigation to get in touch.