A man accused of involvement in an arson attack that caused €550,000 damage to an elderly couple’s home is “protesting his innocence”, a court has heard.
Paul McCarthy (37) appeared before Cork District Court on Wednesday on a charge of arson at Fernbrook in Ballincrokig, Co Cork, on April 24th.
The court has heard Mr McCarthy, of Dowth Avenue, Cabra, Dublin, was allegedly one of three men who drove from Dublin to Cork to set fire to the house.
Gardaí allege the arson was video recorded by one of the men and that the pensioners were not the target of the attack.
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Sgt John Kelleher told Judge John King that €550,000 in fire damage was caused to the property. He said this led to the “complete destruction” of the house.
Mr McCarthy has been remanded in custody since May 7th in connection with this incident.
Sgt Kelleher said forensic results were awaited in the case following the search of two properties.
He applied for Mr McCarthy to be remanded in custody for four further weeks.
Nicholas Hall, defending, said his client insisted he was innocent of the crime. He said searches were carried out “early on” and asked for the issues to be expedited.
Judge King remanded Mr McCarthy in custody until August 20th to await directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Gardaí objected to bail when the matter first came before Cork District Court.
It is alleged three people arrived in a car at the Ballincrokig house on April 24th.
Two of them entered the curtilage of the property, “ignited two glass petrol bombs with a blowtorch”, smashed a bedroom window and threw in the petrol bombs, Garda Brian Murphy told the court in May.
“The third person – believed to be Paul McCarthy – stands close to the vehicle and allegedly films the incident on his mobile phone,” the court heard.
Gda Murphy said a husband, aged 87, and wife, aged 86, were watching television in the house. The house was engulfed in flames, but the couple were unharmed, he said.
“Paul McCarthy had complete disregard for the elderly occupants ... From the initial investigations, gardaí are not of the belief that these persons were the intended victims,” he said.
