A man has been jailed for more than six years for a Christmas Day arson attack on a house containing four people.
Shane Casey (32) also produced a blade and slashed one of the occupants attempting to leave the burning building.
Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford jailed Casey for six years and nine months for deliberately setting fire to a house on Dyke Parade, Cork city, on December 25th, 2023.
The judge said Casey at one point stopped the homeowner at knifepoint from leaving the property. He slashed the man with a blade, leaving him with no choice but to go into a house that was on fire.
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Sentencing Casey at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on Friday, Ms Justice Lankford emphasised “a huge risk” of loss of life in the incident.
He subjected the occupants of the house to a “terrifying ordeal” for which they required hospital treatment, she said.
The four people had smoke inhalation, while the owner had slashes requiring stitches, the judge said.
A woman had to be rescued from the roof.
It took six fire brigade units to make the property safe.
She stressed the occupants of the house were “completely blameless” for what occurred and said Casey mistook the homeowner for someone with whom he had had an argument.
Ms Justice Lankford said Casey had been diagnosed with paranoid psychosis and schizophrenia. She acknowledged his “genuine remorse” and letters of apology.
“I take the view he is a very vulnerable person. Nonetheless his actions on the night were extremely dangerous,” she said.
Casey, who had entered a guilty plea, will start his sentence in October next year when he finishes a sentence for aggravated burglary.
The court heard Casey was on High Court bail for an aggravated burglary offence at the time of the arson. He was discharged from a psychiatric unit 10 days before the incident.
No.5 Dyke Parade was extensively damaged in the incident and required €110,000 to make it liveable again. The owner was without house insurance and was unable to return to his home, the court heard.
Two neighbouring properties, which were previously in excellent condition, were also damaged in the arson attack. One property had at least €120,000 worth of damage and the other had €10,000 in damage.
Casey, formerly of Shanowen, Rathcormac, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, producing a blade capable of causing a serious injury and arson causing damage to three properties. A charge of attempted murder was dropped.
