AN INNOCENT FAMILY’S home of 40 years was “gutted” and their pet husky killed in a petrol bomb attack in Dublin in May, a court has heard.

A 15-year-old boy charged with arson of the house on Landen Road, Ballyfermot, was denied bail on Friday and has been remanded in custody.

The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor and has the right to anonymity, appeared before Judge Brendan Toale at the Dublin Children’s Court.

Objecting to bail, Detective Garda Michael McNulty said on 21 May, at 2.28 am, gardaí responded to a report of a domestic fire at the home.

They learned that while one resident was asleep in the living room, “a stone came through the window of the house and the house was set alight”.

The man’s wife, son and 11-year-old dog were in the property at the time. He woke and alerted his wife and son, and they got out, but the husky was still inside.

The contested bail hearing was told the homeowner tried to get back in to rescue the family pet in the living room, “but unfortunately, the heat was too much and he had to retreat, and the dog passed away inside, in the fire.”

“Their house of 40 years was absolutely gutted, and they are effectively now homeless,” Detective Garda McNulty said.

Citing the strength of the evidence, he said gardaí had obtained a vast amount of CCTV footage, “and the suspects are tracked in their entirety both to and from the arson”.

The court heard claims that a jerrycan of petrol was bought at a service station three hours before the incident and brought to and stored at a building in the Dolphin’s Barn area.

It was alleged that shortly before 2:30am, two males arrived in a taxi, put on balaclavas, and travelled to Landen Road on an electric scooter, with the journey lasting seven minutes.

The teenage defendant was allegedly the passenger and had the jerrycan.

“This male passenger walks into the driveway, sets the jerrycan alight, throws a stone through the window, and throws the jerrycan full of petrol into the sitting room where the occupant of the house is sleeping, and the house is set alight,” said Detective Garda McNulty.

He alleged the arson attack was carried out against “an innocent family’s home, with three occupants and resulted in the death of the family pet and the destruction of their home.”

The court heard that the two suspects sped off on the scooter toward Dolphin’s Barn, parked, and removed their balaclavas.

Twenty minutes later, they left the area by taxi.

The court heard the CCTV footage recovered from the taxi, which also had an audio recording, and the teen was identified.

The teenager, accompanied to court by his mother, did not address the court and has yet to enter a plea. He made no reply when charged.

It was maintained that a balaclava was recovered during a search of the teen’s home.

Challenging the prosecution’s claim about the strength of evidence to support the bail objection, Cecilia Ní Choileáin BL, defending, argued that video evidence in the darkness of night was notoriously open to question.

The defence also disagreed about the quality of the audio recording.

She submitted that the teenager does not have a prior conviction for arson, and these allegations were completely out of character for the boy, who enjoyed the presumption of innocence.

Citing the Children’s Act, she referred to the law, which states that detention should be a last resort, adding that the boy, who is involved in community projects and plans to return to education, would abide by conditions.

However, Judge Toale refused bail and remanded the teenager to the Oberstown Children’s Detention Campus to appear again next week for directions from the DPP.

Meanwhile, co-defendant, Curtis Stafford, 23, of Rutland Grove, Crumlin, appeared before Judge Paula Murphy at Dublin District Court, also charged with arson.

Garda Kevin Coller alleged Mr Stafford, who has yet to indicate a plea, purchased the jerrycan of petrol used in the incident.

The unemployed man was granted legal aid, refused bail and remanded in custody to appear again on July 11.

In the third arrest in this investigation, a teenage boy was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in Dublin on Friday and could be held for 24 hours.