Cork woman had to be rescued from roof of burning house on Christmas Day after it was set on fire

The alleged arsonist said: ‘You are going to die here tonight’Emergency services and Gardai pictured at the scene of a building fire on Dyke Parade, Cork city,(Image: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision
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A court has heard that a man set fire to a multi storey period house in Cork city on Christmas Day in 2023 trapping four people inside, one one of whom had to be rescued from the roof of the burning building.

Shane Casey formerly of Shanowen, Rathcormac in Co Cork was on High Court bail for an aggravated burglary offence when the arson attack occurred on December 25, 2023. He had been discharged from a psychiatric unit ten days before the incident. Det Sgt Brian Barron told the Central Criminal Court in Cork that the 32 year old went to the property on 4 Dyke Parade in Cork city at around 6pm on the date of the offence.

The owner of the property had been allowing homeless people to stay onsite without any charge as part of his “off grid” lifestyle. Dt Sgt Barron said that shortly after 6pm Mr Casey was captured on CCTV going to the door of the property and lighting a lighting a small fire outside using an accelerant. That fire quickly burned out.

Dgt Sgt Barron said that 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.”

The house has been derelict and boarded up since at least 2007 – and was being used as a squat(Image: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision)

Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford was told that 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 around 6.10pm one of the men inside tried to escape from the property.

“Shane Casey swipes at him with the blade twice. This slashes his forehead. He has no choice but to retreat back in to the burning house.” Fortunately, Mr Casey then decided to leave the scene. Dt Sgt Barron said that the man who received the cut told gardai that that he didn’t know his attacker. However, he said that 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 could not get out. She was the trapped on the third fire. The fire brigade arrive at 6.17pm. They rescue her from the burning building by removing her from the roof.”

The woman who was rescued from the roof was treated for smoke inhalation at the Mercy University Hospital. The man who was attacked by Mr Casey was also hospitalised for smoke inhalation and for treatment of a 2cm laceration to his body.

The building months after the fire, in May 2024(Image: Google)

Meanwhile, the court heard that it took the fire brigade more than six hours to bring the blaze under control and to make the property safe. The property 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 around €110,000 to make it liveable again. Dt Sgt Barron said that 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 in the arson attack. One property received at least €120,000 worth of damage whilst the other incurred damage costing around €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 that had his client had received a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and was suffering from distorted and paranoid thinking at the time of the offence.

He said that his client was dealing with “significant mental health difficulties.” He added that it was an unusual offence as Mr Casey had made no attempt to hide his identity. He also gave one occupant of the house his name.

Mr Casey previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Billy Murphy, producing an article capable of causing a serious injury namely a blade, and committing arson damaging three properties at Dyke Parade on December 23rd, 2023.

A charge of attempted murder was dropped with the case instead proceeding on a full facts basis. Ms Justice Lankford was shown CCTV footage of the incident. Poignantly, this included footage of one occupant of the property having her Christmas dinner dropped to her by her mother just minutes before the house she was staying in was set on fire.

Mr Casey was further remanded in custody until Friday (December 5th) to give Ms Justice Lankford time to consider her sentence.