Man guilty of setting den on fire, killing boy

A man has been found guilty of setting a children’s makeshift den on fire causing the death of a boy more than 13 years ago.

Stephen Hughes was 12 years old in 2001 when he died in the fire in the den where he had been sleeping overnight.

Dermot Griffin, aged 54, of Ballyfermot Rd, Ballyfermot, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to manslaughter at Rossfield Avenue, Tallaght, on September 1, 2001.

After a 13-day trial, the jury deliberated for just over six hours before returning the majority verdict.

Judge Patricia Ryan remanded Griffin in custody until June 3 when she will pass sentence.

Supporters of the victim’s family shouted “yes” when the verdict was read out in court and his mother began crying.

The main evidence against Griffin came from three witnesses who placed him at the scene. Under cross-examination they admitted they were abusing heroin at the time and had given statements to gardaí at the time of the fatal fire which conflicted with their later statements and their evidence to the jury.

Mary Rose Gearty, prosecuting, said that a “very dramatic change” came in the case in 2012 when one of these witness, Tracey Deegan, came forward and told gardaí she had lied in 2001 to cover for Griffin.

Ms Deegan, aged 38, said that Griffin, her former partner, wanted to burn the hut because “he didn’t want joyriders in the area, he didn’t want guards in the area”.

Daryl Hall, who was aged 14 at the time, described how he scrambled out of the burning hut and tried in vain to rescue his friend.

He said he was woken by screams. “I heard screaming and hands pushing on my back. I remember hearing ‘go, go’, and ‘aagh’.”

Mr Hall said he could see nothing except smoke. He said he pushed aside a pallet acting as a wall and pulled himself through and up onto an outside wall.

“I thought he [Stephen] was behind me. When I got on the wall, standing on the wall, I jumped back down. I tried to lift up the door, I heard him coughing,” he said.

He told the court he was unable to lift the hut open again and he got back up on the wall and started screaming for help.

He said that a number of people came over, including Griffin. The witness said the accused asked, “was there someone in there?” and then put his hands on his head.