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Mum thought family would die in arson attack
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Ian O'Connor (29) pleaded guilty to arson at Tyrone Place, Inchicore on 18 September 2017 and at Ailesbury Road, Dublin on 15 October 2017. He admitted starting the fires by pouring petrol into the letterbox and front door, claiming he was under pressure from debtors who had told him no one would be home. O'Connor also admitted throwing a pipe bomb at another family home in October 2017, saying he had been offered €2,000 for a petrol bomb but was not paid. Margaret Green, mother of three, gave a victim impact statement describing how she and her children were trapped when the fire broke out, how she covered her youngest children with wet towels, and how her eldest son escaped via a balcony with a neighbour's ladder. Green said her seven‑year‑old daughter's hearing aid melted, leaving a permanent scar. The court heard that all four family members sustained injuries.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Mum thought family would die in arson attack. Charges or matters: arson at Tyrone Place, Inchicore on September 18, 2017; arson at Ailesbury Road, Dublin on October 15, 2017. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- September 18, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 15, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 22 Adjournment
- 2019-03-07 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: arson at Tyrone Place, Inchicore on September 18, 2017; arson at Ailesbury Road, Dublin on October 15, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Melanie Greally remanded O'Connor in custody and adjourned the matter for sentencing on March 22, next.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Emmet Crescent
- Dublin
- Tyrone Place
- Ailesbury Road
Topics
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