A
FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy from Finglas escaped death by inches when a petrol-bomb was
thrown through his bedroom window in the latest development of a long-running
violent, local feud.
The
boy was fast asleep when the homemade device flung by a gang of men smashed
through his window and exploded beside his bed.
The
child, who miraculously slept through the blast, was rescued from the
smoke-filled bedroom shortly afterwards. A second petrol bomb was also thrown
through another bedroom window on the ground floor, but this room was empty at
the time.
His
two sisters were watching TV in the sitting room and escaped unharmed.
Speaking
to Northside People this week, a relative of the family said the whole attack
was over in seconds.
“There
were a number of witnesses who saw a black Lexus pull up outside the house at
10.50pm on August 28 last,
? he said.
“Four
men in their early 30s, who live locally and would be known in the area, got
out of the car. They threw two bottles filled with petrol into each of the
kids’ windows.
“It
was a clear case of attempted murder and the children are very lucky to be alive.
?
The
children’s mother was in the back of the house at the time of the incident,
while their father was visiting friends two doors up.
Witnesses
said when neighbours came out to confront the gang, the men fired two shots
from what appeared to be a shotgun and drove off.
Two
units of the local fire brigade were called to the scene and managed to contain
the fire which had broken out in the empty bedroom.
The
boy’s father went into his son’s bedroom a number of times, but could not see
him due to the smoke. The child’s uncle finally managed to enter the room,
scoop up a blanket containing the sleeping five-year-old and carry him to
safety.
The
boy was taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and is understood
to be doing well although is very upset by the ordeal.
“The
three kids are terrified,
? said his uncle.
“They were supposed to start back to
school last week but they haven’t gone yet; they’re getting a bit of
counselling.
“They
keep talking about
‘the bad men’ who came to try and burn them in the room.
?
It’s
not the first incident in which the family has been targeted by thugs. Last
year the child’s mother was attacked by a gang during a routine shopping trip
to with her children.
“They
beat her up and then broke the windows of her car while the kids were in the
back’ it was another cowardly act,
? said the relative.
It’s
understood the feud between the family and the local gang began in a drunken argument in a pub three years ago.
Local gardaà are now pursuing the case and have asked anyone with information
on the recent petrol bombing to contact them in Finglas.