Jail for woman who set fire to Cork home, killing her two friends

A 15-year jail term, with the last five years suspended, was imposed on a young woman for setting fire to an apartment building in Mallow causing the deaths of two of her friends, writes Liam Heylin.

Jail for woman who set fire to Cork home, killing her two friends

A 15-year jail term, with the last five years suspended, was imposed on a young woman for setting fire to an apartment building in Mallow causing the deaths of two of her friends, writes Liam Heylin.

Insp Michael Corbett said Rachel Crawshaw was so reckless on the night she had set fire to the apartment in Mallow, she stayed in the burning building until gardaí rescued her and had to be stopped in her attempts to get back inside afterwards.

The 28-year-old was sentenced for two counts of manslaughter —the unlawful killing of John Palmer, aged 37, and Greg Lonergan, aged 36, at Granary Court, St Joseph’s Rd, Mallow, between March 12 and March 13, 2014 — and a charge of arson.

“The people she killed were friends of hers. Does that make it less heinous, does it not raise the recklessness?” Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin asked during the sentencing hearing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

John Palmer, 37, who was killed in a fire. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney
John Palmer, 37, who was killed in a fire. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney

“This is an appalling case that has had devastating consequences for the lives of the Lonergan and Palmer families. Two young men cut off from their families, from people who loved them and had a place for them in their lives. The loss to them is huge and palpable, increased by the circumstances of death in a house fire, deliberately set.

“I am sure they have heard her [the accused] express remorse. Whether that is of any benefit to the families or not I do not know.

“This is one of the most serious and heinous of crimes.”

The judge noted the catastrophic life of Crawshaw even in the days prior to the fire.

But he said she had a long history of drug and alcohol addiction and personal difficulties and it was worrying that she had 11 years of the best counselling and support services being made available to her but was now worse than she had been 11 years ago.

The latest probation report, prepared only days ago, described her as being at high risk of re-offending.

Greg Lonergan, 36, who died in the apartment blaze. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney
Greg Lonergan, 36, who died in the apartment blaze. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney

Marjorie Farrelly, defence SC, said the accused was never known to have been violent despite her long history of addiction.

“I am asked to convey to the families, from the accused again, her deep remorse and devastation at what she caused to happen and her responsibility for the deaths of these two gentlemen.

“The accused is a chronic addict. The pattern over the years has been one of efforts to rehabilitate, some success and then relapse. Still, there is some hope for rehabilitation in a structured setting,” said Ms Farrelly.

Insp Corbett said Garda Catriona O’Sullivan and Garda Liam Phillips were at the scene within two minutes of the call coming through, shortly after midnight.

Christopher Palmer, twin brother of John Palmer, was found face down and unresponsive on the stairs. He and Crawshaw were rescued by the gardaí.

Crawshaw made a number of attempts to get back in the building and had to be stopped. She was in a highly distressed state.

It emerged, that hours earlier, she had attempted to take her own life. Paramedics attended to Crawshaw and to Christopher Palmer after the fire.

The two gardaí evacuated residents of other apartments. They went back up the stairs and tried to get into the top floor apartment where the two deceased were.

The gardaí could not enter because of the extremity of heat and smoke. Both gardaí were later hospitalised as were Christopher Palmer and Crawshaw.

Insp Corbett said all four of the people who had been together that night — Christopher Palmer, Crawshaw, and the two deceased — had been drinking heavily.

A forensic examination of the crime scene showed three seats of fire — curtains, mattress, and a bundle of clothing. No accelerant was used, a factor to which the judge attached significance.

Ms Farrelly said the accused had attempted to take her own life earlier that night, she was hospitalised but discharged herself and went back to the apartment building to continue drinking.

Ms Farrelly said the accused had been in a number of damaging and abusive relationships over the years.

Almost €80,000 in fire damage was caused to the building.

Victim Impact Statement - ‘No words to describe our despair’

The families of the two men killed in the fire told the court of the devastation they have felt as a result of the deaths of their loved ones as a result of Crawshaw’s actions.

Greg Lonergan’s former wife Sonia spoke of the impact of her husband’s death on her and on their son, Greg Jr, who is having difficulty coping with the loss of his father.

“I have lost my best friend and I could not believe that he is gone, gone forever .... my life will never be the same again,” she said in her victim impact statement.

Mr Lonergan’s sister, Caroline, said there were no words to describe “the pain, anger and despair” that the Lonergan family felt on learning of Greg’s death.

She said what made it particularly hard on the family was that he was so badly burnt in the fire that he was unrecognisable, and the fact that they could not put him in an open coffin meant they could not have any real closure.

She said the manner in which Greg died haunted them as a family as their imaginations went wild, “driving them crazy”, wondering was he conscious and in pain when caught in the fire.

The tragedy had shaken their security and taken their innocence and “the recognition that he is gone forever is devastating and crushing”.

Mr Lonergan’s mother, Eileen Cummins, described Greg “as the light of my life ... he had a smile that could light up any room.

“I have lost my interest in life and my joy is gone,” she said.

Christopher Palmer also told of the impact that the death of his twin brother was having on him while he also paid tribute to Gardaí Liam Phillips and Caitriona O’Sullivan who saved him.

“Not alone did I lose my brother — we were very close, we were always there for each other from the day that we could walk — I am very lucky to be alive only for the bravery of the two gardaí who pulled me from my burning flat.

“When gardaí told me that John was dead, the pain was unbearable — I think of him everyday and he is the first thing I think of in the morning. My brother never got the chance to a be a father to his daughter.”

The Palmer twins were originally from Tymon North in Tallaght in Dublin while Mr Lonergan had lived at a number of locations in Cork City and county prior to moving to Mallow.

This story first appeared in the Read More: Irish Examiner.

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