Teenager saves baby from petrol bomb blaze

THUGS who failed to gatecrash a Limerick wedding, later torched the home of a relative of the bride while a baby and childminder slept upstairs.

Gardaí last night said it was a miracle the teenage babysitter awoke after hearing glass break, grabbed the 10-month-old baby and fled the house before it became engulfed in flames.

The couple who lived at the house in Byrne Avenue, Prospect, had asked a teenager to stay over to look after their baby while they attended a family wedding.

A Garda source said: “Some individuals tried to gatecrash the wedding at a local hotel and took exception when they were turned away.

“They left and went later on to the house of a relative of the newlywed couple.

“A petrol bomb was thrown in through a front window, which was smashed.

“Fortunately the babysitter, aged 18, who was sleeping in the same room as the baby, was awoken by the sound of breaking glass.

“She got up and grabbed the baby out of its cot and ran down the stairs and managed to get out the back door before the fire spread.”

Three units of Limerick fire brigade spent over an hour bringing the blaze under control.

Extensive damage was caused to the property.

Locals said the couple who live in the house were hard-working people.

One said: “Only recently they put on a big extension.”

Gardaí said the attack was not in any way feud-related.

They strongly suspect it was linked to an earlier incident at the wedding when a number of individuals caused trouble after they were unable to gatecrash the function to get late night-drink.