Dublin man admits setting fire to home on Halloween night while girl slept

A Dublin man has admitted trying to set fire to his rented flat on Halloween night while a four-year-old relative was sleeping in one of the bedrooms.

Father-of-three Peter Doyle pleaded guilty to five charges including arson at an apartment on Slieve Bloom Road in Drimnagh two years ago.

The court heard Doyle had a disagreement with a neighbour while out trick-or-treating with a four-year-old girl on Halloween night.

Gardaí were alerted and loud bangs were heard from inside. When gardaí saw a glass panel being broken in the front door and flames coming from a lit aerosol canister, they broke down the door into the smoke-filled apartment.

Doyle emerged from the kitchen with a kettle and flung boiling water at gardaí, but it only managed to catch the top of their heads as they were carrying riot shields.

The gardaí extinguished two fires, and a girl was found asleep under bedclothes in a bedroom.

The court heard the father of three was drinking. He had won €1,000 in a prize the previous day and had spent it on heroin.

He will be sentenced next month.