‘Criminal thug' jailed for petrol-bomb attack on home of sleeping family as part of feud

Sunday World

6 days ago

Court told fire had devastating impact on two households
Alex Cronin (33), of Oakley Crescent, Highfield Park, Galway city, pleaded guilty to three counts of arson relating to the fire-bombing of the family home of a rival on November 20, 2021.
The attack was among a series of increasingly violent incidents linked to an ongoing Galway feud.
The arson attack, which spread to the neighbouring home of an elderly woman, had a devastating impact on both households, Galway Circuit Court heard.
Prosecution counsel Geri Silke BL told Judge Brian O'Callaghan the target of the attack was Stephen McDonagh, whose family reside at Corrach Bui, Rahoon, Galway.
However, at the time of the incident the intended target was not at home, but six innocent members of his family, including young children, were forced to escape the blaze. A car was also burnt out during the attack.
Garda Christopher Dowry, of Oranmore garda station, told Judge O'Callaghan that Cronin, who just finished a four-year sentence for another matter, was 'very well known to gardaí'.
The court heard that during the investigation Cronin's ex-partner mistakenly handed gardaí a receipt showing he had bought two petrol cans and petrol the night before the arson attack.
Messages recovered from Cronin's phone showed he text his partner at 6.40am following the incident stating he was 'just back'. Video clips relating to the incident were also found on his phone, the court heard.
Cronin was arrested on December 12, 2021, and refused to answer any questions or account for his movements.
When gardaí presented the receipt, Cronin grabbed the exhibit bag and tried to destroy the evidence.
Cronin has 56 previous convictions, including serious assaults, criminal damage, theft, burglary and robbery.
At the time of the arson attack, he had been on bail and under the terms of a suspended sentence and had only been released from prison.
He was arrested weeks later and has been in custody since on an unrelated matter.
Judge O'Callaghan noted 'he barely had time to commit these offences' between prison stints.
Gda Dowry told Judge O'Callaghan that in WhatsApp videos sent at the time of the attack Cronin adopted a 'boastful' attitude and 'took great pride in the damage caused'.
'In my view, he has showed no remorse,' Gda Dowry said.
The home we spent 20 years building up was destroyed in 20 minutes
In his victim impact statement, read to the court by Gda Dowry, Pat McDonagh, the intended target's father, said the arson attack had had a devastating impact on his family.
'The home we spent 20 years building up was destroyed in 20 minutes,' he said.
The trauma of the fire resulted directly in his wife having a nervous breakdown and to this day she insists on having a fire extinguisher in every room.
The court was told the McDonagh family were saved by their neighbours who alerted them.
The flames had engulfed the property to the point the family had to wrap blankets around themselves and escape out the back door of the property.
Mr McDonagh said it was 'only the grace of God someone was not killed'.
My life will never be the same
He said the experience left himself and his wife constantly fretful and worried, and unable to sleep for months.
A neighbour of the McDonaghs, Betty Harte, whose home also suffered fire damage, said the shock of waking to her home in flames nearly caused her to have a heart attack.
'My life will never be the same,' she said.
Ms Harte said she believed the stress of the attack had been a major contributor in her suffering a stroke and continued ill health.
'I can't believe this happened to me. I am a quiet woman,' she said.
Defence counsel Bernard Madden SC said that after the events of November 2021, his client was now coming before the court as a man who was 'belatedly beginning to see the error of his ways'.
He cited a positive governor's report and said Cronin, as part of a pre-release programme, had given advice to young people on the dangers of drink and drugs.
In a letter read to the court, Cronin apologised for his actions. He said his victims never did anything to him to deserve the experience they endured.
Judge O'Callaghan said Cronin was a 'criminal thug' and that on the night 'was out to do damage' and 'couldn't care less about the consequences' of his actions.
Sentencing Cronin to seven years, Judge O'Callaghan suspended the final two years, by which time Cronin will have served almost nine years for this and the other offence for which he was earlier jailed.
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