Hero gardaí rescued arsonist from fatal blaze

Two gardaí entered a burning building in Mallow, Co Cork, and rescued the woman who set fire to it as two men perished inside.

Yesterday, arsonist Rachel Crawshaw was jailed for 10 years on two charges of manslaughter and one of arson.

The gardaí, Catriona O’Sullivan and Liam Phillips, who arrived at the scene two minutes after an alarm was raised, were praised for their bravery as they also rescued a man who collapsed on a staircase and residents in other apartments in the complex.

Although the time leading up to the arson offence was a chaotic blur of heavy drinking for Crawshaw, she admitted being responsible for the crimes over two years ago.

She confessed to charges of the unlawful killing of John Palmer, 37, and Greg Lonergan, 36, at Granary Court, St Joseph’s Road, Mallow, between March 12 and March 13 in 2014, as well as arson.

Inspector Michael Corbett said there were three outbreaks of fire, where the accused set fire to curtains, the middle of a mattress, and a bundle of clothes.

The two deceased could only be identified by their dental records.

A resident returning home spotted smoke and reported the fire at eight minutes after midnight.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin commended the bravery, astuteness and attention to duty of the two gardaí in preventing further loss of life.

He imposed 15 years with the last five years suspended on Crawshaw.

After the hearing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Greg Lonergan’s wife Sonya said that her family will never get over what happened to “my best friend”.

“Greg was such a good man. He was a hard worker and a really nice person.

“This is just too hard to bear. It is hurting really bad — really deep in my heart.

“I knew her [Crawshaw] myself because she lived in the same terrace as me.

“I just cannot understand why she could do it. I will never understand it,” she told TV3.

Sonya admitted her loss was made all the more painful by the manner of Greg’s funeral arrangements.

“He was 100% burned to death — that is what I was told. We couldn’t even get to see him in the coffin. He was my best friend in life. No matter what happened here today, it wasn’t ever going to bring Greg back.”