A woman has told a jury she saw a man set her car on fire shortly after she saw him climb over her gate carrying a can of petrol and a slash-hook.
Mrs Margaret Cunningham told prosecuting counsel Ms Orla Crowe at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the car was parked a few feet from her caravan and that she went into shock as her three young children were asleep inside. She identified the man as Mr Peter Joyce (22), her niece's husband.
Mrs Cunningham said when she saw Mr Joyce, of Dunsink Lane, Finglas, climb over the gate, she ran to the kitchen window of her caravan and saw him sprinkle petrol over the back of her Toyota Starlet. Moments later the car was in flames.
Mrs Cunningham told defence counsel, Mr Anthony Sammon SC, in cross-examination, that she received a cheque for £7,000 from Guardian Royal Insurance for the damage to the car.
Mr Sammon told Mrs Cunningham that his client instructed him that he was at his cousin's wedding in Belfast that weekend, but she insisted that the man she saw was the accused.
Det Garda Andy O'Rourke told Ms Crowe that he arrested and charged Mr Joyce with the offences on September 14, 1999.
He said that Mr Joyce denied all knowledge of the damage done to Mrs Cunningham's property.
Det Garda Tony Gleeson, reading from Mr Joyce's statement, said the accused insisted he had no idea why he was being blamed for the attack, but that the two families had been fighting for years.
Mr Joyce has pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal damage and one charge of reckless endangerment on the early morning of June 27th, 1999.
The trial continues before Judge Yvonne Murphy.