Brazen fire thugs believed asylum seeker rumour and targeted house despite garda presence

The senior officer leading the probe into Wednesday morning’s arson attack on a residential property in Leixlip also confirmed on Thursday that it had been targeted eight days earlier.

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The thugs who burned out a house over rumours it was earmarked for asylum seekers targeted it even though gardaí patrolled the site every day, it has emerged.

And gardai also confirmed on Thursday that officers had repeatedly told protesters that the Kildare site targeted on Wednesday was not to be used for asylum seekers – but they weren’t believed.

The senior officer leading the probe into Wednesday morning’s arson attack on a residential property in Leixlip also confirmed on Thursday that it had been targeted eight days earlier – and her officers were mounting daily patrols.

But despite the extra patrols following the previous arson attack on Tuesday January 30, attackers felt confident enough to target it again on Wednesday morning.

The attack on the house at Celbridge Road in the town took place at 1.30am on Wednesday – and is now the subject of a major Garda investigation.

And lead investigator Superintendent Georgina Gray, based at Leixlip Station, confirmed there had been extra patrols at the site following the January 30 attack.

She said: “We had been doing regular patrols and when we became aware that there may be an issue at that property.

“That would have been put into our daily patrols. We were doing daily patrols up there.

“An investigation did take place and was continuing in relation to that first attack up at that house.

“We had liaised with the property owner, provided crime prevention advice and indeed got our own crime prevention officer to liaise with the property owner in relation to things that he could do to help prevent any further attacks on the house.”

She also said officers had engaged with protesters to repeatedly tell them the house was not being earmarked for asylum seekers – but their reassurances fell on deaf ears.

She said: “The guards here at Leixlip had engaged daily with those protests.

“There has been a lot of engagement ongoing for the past few weeks, to dispel any of those rumours and allay any fears that people would have.

“That information or that rumour was there beforehand, and protests had been taking place, local protests – very peaceful.

“It’s very difficult for the public when rumours are going around and misinformation.

“We did engage, but unfortunately the fears were there for people and they just weren’t satisfied that it wasn’t going to be used for that purpose.”

The two Leixlip attacks bring to 19 the number of sites targeted since January last year that were either planned for asylum seekers – or were merely the subject of unfounded rumours.

Sources say gardaí believe there is no one group directing the nationwide attacks – but that several outfits are involved.

But Supt Gray said her officers would be liaising with detectives investigating the other attacks – just in case there was a link.

She said: “We’re very early into our investigations and I can’t comment too much on the investigation

“I will say we are linking in with other investigation teams around the country to follow that line just in case – we are following every line of inquiry.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had earlier said such arson attacks were also hate crimes – but Supt Gray said it was too early to say if the Leixlip blaze fell into that category.

She said: “We’re in the very early stages of this investigation. And we are looking at all lines of inquiry. So I can’t comment on whether that is the case or not, yet.”

The officer said there was now a major Garda probe into the blaze – and warned that the maximum penalty for arson was life in prison.

She said: “I would like to also reassure the public that we take this very, very seriously.

“This is a major investigation. Arson is very serious.

“It causes serious damage to property. It can cause serious injury to people, and worst still even loss of life.

“If indicted, it carries a sentence up to life imprisonment.

“It is a major investigation.

“The Garda commissioner and senior management are also taking it very seriously.

“It will be fully and thoroughly investigated.”

And she also appealed to people to ignore rumours.

She said: “Misinformation does not help with any information and especially in a local community.

“It can create fears amongst the public.

“So we again would say to people please do not listen to any information and come to us here or your local public representative.”

Anyone with information about the blaze is asked to contact Leixlip Garda Station 01 666 7800, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Dublin probing another suspected anti-asylum seeker arson attack still quizzing two suspects on Thursday evening.

The two men, aged in their 30s and 50s, were arrested with a woman in her 20s early on Thursday as part of the probe into the attack on the old Shipwright pub in Ringsend, south central Dublin on December 31.

The site was destroyed after it was wrongly claimed it was to be used to house asylum seekers – when it was actually earmarked for the homeless.

Gardaí have been probing the attack for weeks and made their move on Thursday.

The woman was released without charge in the afternoon – but the two men were still being questioned on Thursday evening.

All three are from Dublin and one of the men is active in anti-immigrant protests, a source said.