Arson attacks in Newbridge
The home of an innocent family was targeted in one of the arsons
LOCAL sources believe that at least three of the recent four arson attempts on homes in Newbridge are related to a campaign of intimidation being waged on the town.
The most recent of these was on the Rosconnell estate at 3am on Tuesday (6 August).
Before that, a house owned by an innocent elderly woman linked was then attacked at 5.20am on 29 May in the nearby Highfield estate, and prior to that, another innocent family home was burnt out in Moorefield Park at 1.20am on 17 May.
On 5 July shortly before midnight, an Eyre Street apartment occupied by a “vulnerable” local man who sources say was taken advantage by “dangerous criminal elements” was also set on fire.
Though gardaí investigating the attacks have not confirmed any of them are linked yet, one senior source believed there could be many families in Newbridge who are being targeted with intimidation.
According to local sources, the first-mentioned three attacks were allegedly drug-debt intimidations on innocent relations, and while somewhat similar, different from the 5 July incident, which has been described as being “a cuckoo crime”.
This is where a group of criminal befriend a vulnerable of afflicted individual, and gradually take over his home for where they can allegedly deal with a greater impunity.
To date, there have been no injuries in this campaign of arson, and to date, while in recent times there has been one charge of note for allegations similar to this.
The Kildare man was charged and tried on two counts of demanding drug debt money from mothers of his customers with threats in 2022, and for possession with intent to supply almost €100,000 worth of various drugs recovered, and is due for sentencing later this.
However, fears over what has occurred was downplayed by local councillor Chris Pender, himself a resident of Eyre Street, and an attendee to the aftermath of his neighbour’s fire on 5 July.
“I wouldn’t be aware of an atmosphere of intimidation, and if there is, it’s very much under the radar,” he said.
“Anecdotally, I’m hearing of a substantial increase in the use of cocaine and crack cocaine,” he said.
“But the cuckoo-ing? They’re (the dealers) focussing on already chronic addicts,” he said.
He had a lot to say about the 5 July incident, where he assisted in getting one of the neighbours out of their home before the arrival of the Fire Service.
“I think the people who give them the housing are not helping,” he said.
“These agencies are not doing their job properly, and this is what happened after the government introduced their watered-down ‘Housing First’ policy,” he said.
“They should help with housing, addiction and mental health in a wraparound service, but they are just giving out the housing and then walking away, it’s no wonder this poor fella was so bothered by these – there was no-one calling to help,” he said.
“An investigation was conducted into an incident of criminal damage by fire at a property in Newbridge, County Kildare which occurred on 29 May 2024,” said gardaí officially through the garda press office.
“There is no corresponding incidents with the other three incidents alleged in (Kildare Nationalist) enquiry”.
