A man set fire to a multistorey period house in Cork city on Christmas Day in 2023, trapping four people inside, one of whom had to be rescued from the roof of the building, a court has heard.
Shane Casey (32), formerly of Shanowen, Rathcormac in Co Cork, was on High Court bail for an aggravated burglary offence when the arson attack occurred. He had been discharged from a psychiatric unit 10 days before the incident.
Det Sgt Brian Barron told the Central Criminal Court in Cork that Mr Casey went to the property on 4 Dyke Parade in Cork city at about 6pm on the date of the offence.
The property’s owner had been allowing homeless people to stay on site without any charge as part of his “off-grid” lifestyle.
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Dt Sgt Barron said shortly after 6pm, Mr Casey was captured on CCTV lighting a small fire outside the property which quickly burned out. Shortly afterwards, Mr Casey opened the front door of the house and set a fire inside.
“[Shortly after] he exits and stands looking in the open front door at the fire taking hold. At 6.06pm he closes the front door and attempts to barricade the front door from the outside. He uses a piece a timber to jam to the side and then under the door.”
Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford was told Mr Casey was then captured on CCTV holding a blade in front of him and waiting outside the property.
Dgt Sgt Barron said that at about 6.10pm, one of the men inside tried to escape.
“Shane Casey swipes at him with the blade twice. This slashes his forehead. He has no choice but to retreat back into the burning house.”
Mr Casey then decided to leave the scene. Dt Sgt Barron said the man who received the cut told gardaí he didn’t know his attacker. However, he said the man revealed his identity to him.
“He said, ‘my name is Shane Casey and you remember me from two days ago. You are going to die here tonight.’
“In the next two minutes, a woman and two men leave. The last person in the building was a woman who could not get out. She was the trapped on the third floor. The fire brigade arrive at 6.17pm. They rescue her from the burning building by removing her from the roof.”
The rescued woman was treated for smoke inhalation at Mercy University Hospital. The man who Mr Casey attacked was also hospitalised for smoke inhalation and for treatment of a 2cm laceration to his body.
The court heard it took the fire brigade more than six hours to bring the blaze under control and make the property safe. The house contained a large amount of refuse stacked high as the owner didn’t pay for a bin collection.
The house was extensively damaged and required about €110,000 to make it liveable again. Det Sgt Barron said the owner was without house insurance and was unable to return to his home.
Two neighbouring properties, which were previously in excellent condition, were also damaged. One property received at least €120,000 worth of damage, while the other incurred damage costing about €10,000.
Mr Casey, who is unemployed, has 67 previous convictions. These include offences such as criminal damage, endangerment and assault.
Defence counsel Ray Boland SC, said his client had received a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and was suffering from distorted and paranoid thinking at the time of the offence.
Mr Casey was further remanded in custody until Friday to give Ms Justice Lankford time to consider her sentence.
