Guilty of starting fire at his local authority house

Three day trial hears of other fires and threats

A MONAGHAN MAN has been found guilty of setting fire to a local authority house he was living in at Carrickmacross in the summer of 2020, following a trial that lasted three days at the October sittings of Monaghan Circuit Court.

The jury was told during the hearing of two subsequent fires that occurred at other premises where Thomas McConnell of no fixed abode, Carrickmacross was staying- one of these being in May 2021 and the most recent in November 2023.

McConnell, now aged 44, appeared agitated at times during the trial, and had verbally interjected on more than a few occasions, shouting at one point, “I am not a killer, I am not a killer of people ever, thank you.”

Guilty

He was found unanimously guilty of causing damage by fire (arson) at 42 Drummond Radhairc, Carrickmacross on July 27, 2020, and also of attempting to damage the same property by fire on June 11, 2020. A ‘not guilty’ verdict was returned, however, in respect of an allegation that he threatened to damage the premises by fire while speaking to gardaí earlier on June 11, 2020.

The defendant is still awaiting trial on a separate arson case, alleging that he caused damage by fire to Flat 8, 70 Main Street, Carrickmacross on May 28, 2021. In respect of a third set of charges relating to a fire at 1 Bridge Street, Carrickmacross on November 29, 2023, McConnell had been found ‘not guilty’ of arson at an earlier trial, but guilty of making threats to a garda on that date that he would damage the Bridge Street property by fire, and also of engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour.

Following a discussion between Judge John Aylmer and defence and prosecuting counsel, it was agreed that sentencing on all matters would be deferred until after the upcoming trial scheduled for January 2026. McConnell was on that basis remanded in custody awaiting sentence.

Evidence

The jury had been told at the outset of the trial for arson at 42 Drummond Radhairc that McConnell was a tenant at the council owned dwelling for about two years, since June of 2018. The council’s Tenant Liaison Officer, Ciaran Trant said the repair costs following the July 27, 2020 blaze had come to just over €18,000.

A statement from a female witness was read into evidence by Frank Martin BL, prosecuting, in which she recalled how McConnell had knocked on the door of her house, also at Drummond Radhairc, and was shouting “the house is on fire”. He was saying he was out for a walk and that when he came back he saw his house on fire. She could see smoke coming from downstairs vents at “Tommy’s house” and that she alerted neighbours and called the fire services and gardaí.

McConnell was observed pacing around with his hands on his head and shouting something about having left a radio on the couch.

Patrick Fitzpatrick, Station Officer with at Carrickmacross Fire Station, said a call was received at 11.51pm, and fire services were on scene at 12.01am. A large gathering of local residents had also come out onto the street and a Garda patrol car was at the address.

He said there was a lot of black smoke coming from an air vent at the front of the property. Fire personnel went in and found a two-seater settee on fire in the sitting room, which they extinguished and made safe. They checked both floors to ensure nobody was in the building, and the burning settee was taken out back and the debris cleared from the sitting room. The fire brigade left the scene at 12.49am, by which time the house was fully safe and cleared of smoke.

An official report said the cause of the fire was “unknown”, but that it had originated in the living room.

Garda Mark Finn told the court he received a report of a house fire shortly before midnight. He went to the scene and saw black smoke coming from a ground-floor vent. He also saw Thomas McConnell, who was known to him, and who appeared to be animated and irate. He was pacing outside the property while shouting and waving his arms around.

McConnell said he had returned to the house after a short walk and saw the house on fire. He was also saying a radio he left turned on might have been the source of the blaze.

After the property was made safe Garda Finn entered. He saw there was extensive smoke damage, with the walls black throughout. At the rear was the remains of a couch the fire personnel had taken from the living room.

Arrested

Garda Finn said in October 2021 he had arrested McConnell on suspicion of arson on July 27, 2020. The defendant had stated he threw the radio on the couch while it was still on, and that when he came back from a walk he saw smoke coming from the front living room. Then he ran and warned neighbours and called the fire brigade.

It had been put to him that he had called gardaí on June 11 and again on July 10, and had threatened on each occasion to burn the house, but he continued to insist it was an accident with the radio.

He said he was “hearing voices in my head” but was adamant: “I didn’t do it.”

It was also put to the accused that on June 11 he was in the process of putting the couch on fire when gardai had called in and had to intervene. His answer was: “It was a cigarette; I was hearing voices.”

Claims

In response to James McGowan SC, representing the defendant, Garda Finn said he remained at the house overnight until 7am to preserve the scene. He accepted that he was not an expert on the cause of fires, but he had sent an email to Garda Scenes of Crime at 4.58am stating: “The fire appears to have originated on the couch.”

Mr McGowan put it to him that Fire Officer Mr Fitzpatrick had stated that it was “cause unknown”.

Two other gardaí- Mark Dorrian and Mark Doherty- told the court they too attended on June 11 after a phone call was received from McConnell threatening to set the house of fire. They said they saw McConnell in the sitting room and that a blanket on top of the couch was on fire. They stamped on this and put it out.

Mr McGowan in cross-examination drew attention to certain inconsistencies in the accounts given- one being that Garda Dorian said he saw McConnell lighting the blanket with a lighter even though Garda Doherty, who had come into the room first, stated the blanket was already on fire. It was also pointed out that neither garda was sure who had answered the initial call.

Threats

Further statements from Garda Leone Campbell and Lorcan Cassidy were read into the record by Mr Martin. These referred to an earlier incident on May 17, 2020 in which they were informed that McConnell had contacted Carrickmacross Garda Station to say he was going to burn his house down. They visited, and while no damage was caused on that occasion, McConnell was arrested.

The jury was also told of details regarding a fire at No 1 Bridge, Street, Carrickmacross, in which McConnell called the Garda station to say he would burn the premises. He had been very abusive over the phone to Garda James Keenan, warning the house was “too noisy” and he would “burn it down”.

The call was made at 2.40am on November 29, 2023, after which McConnell was arrested. He was released on station bail but returned at 5.15am the same morning and said: “I’m after lighting the house.”

He said he had kicked a few things around, and that he knocked the television, adding “the telly must have sparked it”.

A statement from Sergeant Anthony Flynn said McConnell told Garda Keenan: “I’ve burned two houses already.”

Blaze

Fire Officer Dermot Brannigan’s statement confirmed, in the case of 1 Bridge Street. there was significant damage done to the stairway and front door.

It was made clear to the jurors the defendant was already tried in relation to the fire at 1 Bridge Street and acquitted of arson, although found guilty of threatening to burn the premises and of being abusive to gardaí on the occasion.

Mr Martin, in summing up for the prosecution, told the jury they would have to determine whether it was McConnell’s intention to damage the house at Drummond Radhairc by fire. He drew attention to the earlier incident in which two gardai visited the premises and found McConnell to be present while a blanket was on fire.

Mitigation

Emphasising the “common thread” through each of the matters referred to, Mr Martin noted on each occasion the defendant claimed the fire was accidental.

“We say this is no accident, this was by design, and that on three occasions before the incident at Drummond Radhairc he threatened to burn the building, and that he did it,” Mr Martin said.

Mr McGowan SC, defending, emphasised how his client was entitled to the presumption of innocence. He pointed to discrepancies in the evidence of the gardaí who called to the house after the alleged threat on June 11, 2020, and to the fire , it was the officer’s conclusion the cause of the fire on 27 July was “unknown”.

Nor was there any direct evidence that his client had started a fire, counsel noted, while also pointing to the not guilty verdict for arson in the Bridge Street case.

Verdict

In giving a lengthy charge to the jury of eight men and four women, Judge Aylmer went back over much of the evidence in great detail. The jury deliberated for two hours, 15 minutes before returning with verdicts of guilty in arson and attempted arson at 42 Drummond Radhairc on July 27 and June 6, 2020 respectively. He was acquitted on the charge of threatening to damage the property on June 6.

As stated, sentencing on all matters has been deferred until after the upcoming trial in January 2026.