Children escaped after man set fire to apartment

A man has been sentenced to five years for setting fire to the bed in his partner and children’s apartment before escaping out the window.

Paul Hanbury, aged 23, from Cloonmore Park in Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to arson in the apartment in Tallaght on October 4, 2014.

Judge Martin Nolan said that “it was an extremely serious crime and fatalities could have occurred by Mr Hanbury’s reckless and intentional actions”.

He suspended the final 18 months of the sentence and backdated it to October 2014 when Hanbury went into custody.

Garda Michael McGrath from Tallaght Garda Station said Hanbury had gone over to his girlfriend’s apartment at 2pm and started drinking with her and her sister. Hanbury and his girlfriend’s sons, aged 2 and 4 months, were in the apartment at the time.

Vincent Heneghan, prosecuting, said that sometime after midnight a row broke out between Hanbury and his girlfriend.

Hanbury locked himself in one of the bedrooms and five minutes later his girlfriend and her sister heard crackling and smelled smoke. They kicked down the door to find the mattress on fire and the window open.

They gathered up both the children and went to a neighbour’s apartment where the fire brigade was called.

Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha, defending, said that Hanbury and his girlfriend wer still together and she has brought his sons to visit him on several occasions while in custody.

Garda McGrath said that at about 3.30 on the morning after the fire Hanbury appeared at the garda station in an aggressive state under the influence of drink and drugs.

He then returned at 7.30am sober and crying, where he admitted being in the apartment but said he made sure everyone else was out before the fire started.

Garda McGrath said Hanbury made several conflicting statements about the fire but did admit that he was responsible.

Garda McGrath said the estimated damage to the building was between €80,000 and €100,000 and that several other apartments suffered smoke damage.

Mr Ó Lideadha said that Hanbury was suffering emotionally at the time as he was frustrated by his failure to perform his duties as a father and was on drugs.

Judge Nolan noted Hanbury’s 18 previous convictions but said none were as serious as this offence.