Man who set fire to house with people inside was on bail at the time, Cork court told
Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford said she would consider the evidence given at the sentencing hearing and give judgment on December 5.
A man who set fire to a four-storey Georgian house in Cork City where four people were celebrating Christmas Day slashed the owner with a knife as he tried to leave, and it emerged at his sentencing hearing that he was on High Court bail at the time on a separate case involving aggravated burglary.
32-year-old Shane Casey was admitted to a psychiatric hospital unit while on bail and was discharged 15 days before he carried out the arson in Cork city where four people were terrified inside the house.
As the fire took hold, and smoke and flames spread through the building, Shane Casey who started it with an accelerant, held a knife at the front door and forced it closed from the outside.
This was the evidence of Sergeant Brian Barron who investigated the case.
Defence senior counsel Ray Boland said the young man was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. “He suffers from distorted and paranoid thinking,” Mr Boland said.
Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford said she would consider the evidence given at the sentencing hearing and give judgment on December 5. Shane Casey was remanded in custody until then.
Sergeant Barron testified that Shane Casey, who was previously living at Shanowen, Rathcormac, Co Cork, turned up outside the house on Dyke Parade, Cork, just after 6pm on December 25, 2023. Four people were present in the house.
“He takes a blade from his pocket and holds it out in front of him and waits outside. At 6.08pm, the front door bursts open and [one of the men] attempts to escape the now blazing house."
Shane Casey swipes at him with the blade twice, slashing his forehead. He has no choice but to retreat back into the burning house with Shane Casey in pursuit.
"He can be seen blocking attempts made to get out of the burning house, again holding the blade before leaving at 6.09pm.
"The man who was cut did not know the person who set fire to the house but told gardaí the person said:
"In the following two minutes, a woman and two men leave.
“At 6.17pm, the fire service rescue arrive. They rescue her from the burning building by removing her from the roof of the adjoining property.
“At least six units of the fire service took more than six hours to bring the fire under control and make the building safe.” The house itself had been owned by a man living somewhat “off grid” who used to allow some homeless people to stay there.
"With virtually no working utilities in the house there was no bin collection and several rooms were stacked high with refuse built up over years.
Properties neighbouring 5 Dyke Parade which were kept in excellent condition by their owners were also damage by the fire. One of them only sustained €10,000 smoke damage, the other was more seriously affected, with the damage put at €120,000.
The fire damage to 5 Dyke Parade caused extensive damage and would have cost €110,000 to return it a basic condition. As the owner had no money to pay for this and had no insurance, he has had to sell the house and live elsewhere.
The exact times of events around 6pm were known because of neighbouring CCTV which captured what occurred. Several minutes of video recordings were shown to the judge at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.
Ms Justice Lankford also said in respect of Shane Casey: “I have read a letter which was clearly written by himself.”
He will be sentenced on Friday on charges of assault causing harm to the owner, production of an article, namely a blade, in the course of the assault, and finally causing criminal damage to the house and neighbouring properties with intent to endanger life.
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