Dundalk court: Arson attack at Louth home
Man who set fire to pallets at the front door of a family's home was jailed
A 42 year old man who set fire to pallets at the front door of a family's home in County Louth, was jailed for two years and nine months at Dundalk Circuit Court last week.
Mobile phone footage, seized as part of the arson investigation showed Stephen McVeigh formerly of Commons Road, Dromiskin being directed by a woman, as he went to start the blaze on January 23rd last year.
The victim told gardaí her husband told her around 2am to get out as the house, at Aghanmeen Park, Muirhevnamor, was on fire and she saw big flames at the door and a wooden pallet that was leaning against it was also on fire.
Her two adult sons threw water over the flames and the fire was extinguished.
The cost of repair to Louth County Council was €5,000.
CCTV from Applegreen, Dundalk Retail Park a short distance from the scene, showed a woman buying a jerry can and petrol, before driving off towards Hoey’s Lane.
Footage from a mobile phone seized from his co-accused later in the day was shown to the court, in which she off camera directs Stephen McVeigh, saying “The windows”.
A text message she received said "Get Rusty to do it" and she sent a text asking if she should video it.
Mr. McVeigh had 70 previous convictions, and a drug dependency.
His barrister said the 42-year-old had made repeated efforts to deal with his addiction, and had a clean break in offending for four years from 2016, but had relapsed after losing a finger in a workplace accident.
Judge Dara Hayes in finalising his sentencing, said the court has seen too many cases of arson in Drogheda and Dundalk in recent times and noted the arson attack appears to have been directed from elsewhere.
He sentenced him to four years and three months, but suspended the final 18 months on the defendant, placing himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for 12 months post release and continuing to engage with addiction services.