Little Island arson case adjourned for accused to sign guilty pleas in court

Signed guilty pleas are to be entered by a man accused of setting fire to a house and the car parked outside, and making death threats to the owner.

Dean Aherne appeared by video link from prison at Cork District Court today and his solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher said, following a consultation, that the accused would be signing guilty pleas to all of the charges against him.

Judge David Waters adjourned the case until September 29 for the accused to be brought to court to sign the guilty pleas and to have the case against him sent forward to Cork Circuit Criminal Court on October 27.

The case arose out of an investigation into criminal damage by fire to a house at The Greens, Little Island, and an earlier incident where a car was burnt outside the house where a woman lives with her young children. It was alleged that the arsons were carried out because of a drugs debt.

Garda Amy Quinn outlined the allegations in the case in the course of the objection to bail: “At approximately 10.40pm on April 9, the 39-year-old female injured party was at home at The Green, Little Island, with her children, when she heard somebody banging at her front door. 

"She ran to the front door and looked out the glass in the front door. A male was shouting outside that he was going to kill the injured party and that he had a gun. The injured party allegedly recognised the voice as that of Dean Aherne who she personally knew.

“She alleges that she saw Dean Aherne setting her car on fire which resulted in the car being completely burnt out.

“At approximately 12.10am on April 12 it is alleged that Dean Aherne and two other males approached the home of the injured party where it is alleged that Dean Aherne poured an accelerant on the front door of the injured party's home and then lit it. 

"A fire took hold but fortunately was put out quickly by the injured party's family. The fire caused extensive damage to the front door, overhead PVC panelling in the porch outside the front door and to PVC surrounds on the sitting room window.

“The injured party has alleged that the arsons at her home are as a result of a drug debt.”