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LAST UPDATE | 30 Jun
A 42-YEAR-OLD woman has been arrested by PSNI officers investigating the murder of mother-of-two Sarah Montgomery in Co Down.
The PSNI had received a report at about 2.15pm on Saturday of an unconscious woman with a serious injury inside a house in the Elmfield Walk area of Donaghadee in north Down.
Police officers and emergency services attended but Sarah was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sarah was pregnant at the time of her death.
PSNI officers arrested a 42-year-old woman in Belfast earlier today on suspicion of assisting an offender.
She remains in custody and is assisting police with their enquiries.
It is the second arrest to be made in connection with Sarah’s death.
A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody at this time and is said to be assisting with enquiries.
Both people who have been arrested were known to Sarah and at present, no-one else is being sought in connection with the crime.
The PSNI continues to appeal to the public for help with the investigation and Detective Chief Inspector Tom Phillips said the force is “working at pace to determine the circumstances of Sarah’s tragic murder”.
“We need help from people in the Donaghadee and Belfast areas,” he added.
The PSNI is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed or heard anything unusual or suspicious in the Elmfield Walk area of Donaghadee between 1.20pm and 2.20pm on Friday, 27 June.
They are also appealing to anyone who may have seen a yellow Jeep Avenger in the Airport Road area of the Belfast Harbour Estate between 3.30pm and 4.15pm on Friday, 27 June.
“Even if you think it may not be important, please come forward and speak with us as even very small pieces of information could prove invaluable to us,” said Phillips.
He added: “This is an incredibly tragic case which has devastated Sarah’s family and friends, and leaves two small children without their beloved Mum.
He said specially trained officers continue to support Sarah’s family.
Sarah Montgomery was the 27th woman to be murdered in Northern Ireland since the start of 2020.
Sinn Féin vice president and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said her thoughts are with Sarah’s loved ones and family.
She described Sarah as a “young woman with her whole life ahead of her, taken in the most devastating way”.
“Another family left shattered,” added O’Neill.
“Two children left without their mummy.”
O’Neill further remarked that ending violence against women and girls “must be a priority for every single person right across our society”.
My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Sarah Montgomery as we learn of the heartbreaking news from Donaghadee.
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) June 29, 2025
A young woman with her whole life ahead of her, taken in the most devastating way.
Another family left shattered. Two children left without their mummy.…
Deputy First Minister and DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly said her “heart goes out to Sarah’s wee children, her family and friends and all who knew her”.
“My heart breaks for Sarah,” she added.
“We know the work to tackle violence against women and girls will require a long term approach, but I am so angry at every single murder and act of violence,” said Little-Pengelly.
Elsewhere, Alliance leader Naomi Long also remarked that her “heart goes out to the loved ones of Sarah Montgomery, especially her two little children”.
“Their grief today must be unimaginable,” she added.
SDLP MLA Cara Hunter remarked that “there is no grief more profound than that of a child robbed of the love, safety, and care of their mother”.
Hunter added that Sarah’s death is part of a “wider epidemic of violence” that “demands immediate political will and a coordinated government response”.
“This is not an isolated incident. We are failing women. We are failing children. And we are failing to treat this crisis with the seriousness it demands,” said Hunter.
She added: “Too many women in Northern Ireland live in fear; in their homes, on their streets, and in their relationships. That fear is not just real; the statistics show that it is justified. But it should never be acceptable.
“This woman’s life mattered. Her children’s future matters. And unless we do everything in our power to stop the epidemic against women and girls there will be more children left without mothers, and more families destroyed.”
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