Family escaped death ‘by grace of God’ after Galway arson attack - Courts News Ireland

A Galway Circuit Court Judge has said it is only by the “grace of God” that a woman and her children did not lose their lives after a car of “gangsters” carried out an arson attack on their home. Galway Circuit Criminal Court heard that PJ Lyons (22) of Cedar Block Walk, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, pleaded guilty to a charge

A Galway Circuit Court Judge has said it is only by the “grace of God” that a woman and her children did not lose their lives after a car of “gangsters” carried out an arson attack on their home.

Galway Circuit Criminal Court heard that PJ Lyons (22) of Cedar Block Walk, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, pleaded guilty to a charge of arson carried out on February 3, 2022, at a house in Castlepark, Ballybane, Galway. He further pleaded guilty to having an instrument in the form of petrol on February 11, 2022, on the outskirts of Galway City.

Passing sentence today/yesterday (Tuesday), Judge Brian O’Callaghan said, this man has pleaded guilty to a most shocking set of offences. It is only by the “grace of God” that these people did not lose their lives. He said this defendant has not provided an explanation satisfactory to this court, and the court will proceed on the assumption that this defendant was a willing participant in the arson at the home in Castlepark.

Judge O’Callaghan said the victim impact statement before the court was “harrowing and frightening” and noted that there was substantial harm done to the injured parties.

The judge said this was a car of “gangsters” and noted that he had not heard the word “apology” from the defendant, so the level of remorse is not substantial. He said the aggravating factors in this case are the substantial risk this woman and her children were put in, and this defendant fled the scene.

Judge O’Callaghan said he would consider Lyons guilty plea, his addiction issues and that he must be treated as a first-time offender as mitigating factors.

Judge O’Callaghan said there is no evidence before the court of any type of rehabilitation. He set a global sentence of eight years, which he backdated to March 2023 when Lyons went into custody on these matters.

Detective Garda Marvin Lee told Geri Silke, BL, prosecuting, that on February 3, 2022, Mary Sweeney and her four children were asleep in bed when they heard a noise downstairs and discovered that their house was on fire, and there was no way to exit the house from downstairs.

Ms Sweeneys had to use all her strength to open a window that had become jammed. The court heard that the house was full of thick black smoke, and she had to constantly count her children to ensure they were all present, as she could not see them.

Ms Sweeney’s eldest child jumped from the upstairs window and told his mother to pass the younger children down, which she did. The family was brought to Galway University Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation and kept overnight.

The court heard that Garda Michael Murphy was on patrol in the area and saw a black Volkswagen Golf being driven at 80km per hour in a 50km area. Gda Murphy, along with another patrol car, gave chase and observed the Golf driving the wrong way up a slip road before crashing into a patrol car. Lyons was the front-seat passenger of the Golf and was arrested at the scene. He was 17 years old at the time.

The total cost of repairs to Ms Sweeney’s home was €77,237, and she was displaced for over 13 months.

A victim impact statement was read out on behalf of Ms Sweeney, which said, “We were choking on the thick black smoke, I had to keep counting children as it was so black”.

She said during this time she asked God, “If he has to take anyone to take me,” Ms Sweeney described her eldest son as her “absolute hero” for the way in which he protected his siblings. When two neighbours arrived at the scene, the eldest son immediately began protecting his younger siblings, thinking the neighbours were the attackers.

The court heard that Ms Sweeney’s children have suffered from enduring anxiety, and they now sleep with their bedroom doors open. The family lost all their possessions, including family photos and one of the children’s birthday presents, which were wrapped downstairs in the home.

Det Gda Lee told the court that one week later, gardai received a call reporting a road traffic accident at the Joyce Roundabout, Bohermore, Galway. Five occupants of the crashed Saab car fled the area, including Lyons. He was arrested shortly thereafter.

The Saab car was searched, and a petrol can, a black hat, lighters, a baseball bat, a metal bar, and a bottle of butane gas were found in it. CCTV footage from a Dublin petrol station was obtained, and Lyons was seen filling the petrol car later found in the car. He was interviewed on three occasions and denied any knowledge of the items found in the car.

Det Gda Lee agreed with Damien Colgan, SC, defending, that Lyons identified himself as a front seat passenger in the black Golf and further identified himself on CCTV footage getting out of the Saab car at a petrol station in Dublin.

The garda agreed with counsel that Lyons told gardai that he was under pressure to carry out the offences and had been previously stabbed.

Mr Colgan said Lyons is currently serving a prison sentence in Mountjoy Prison, where he shares a cell with four others. He has a release date of April 2028.

Counsel said his client began using drugs at the age of 13 and was living on the streets by the age of 15. He said Lyons did not seek a trial date and therefore spared the injured parties the need to give evidence.