Gardai probing ‘arson' attack in Finglas house blaze as incident may be revenge on relative
Sources have confirmed to the Sunday World that officers investigating the fire, which broke out early Friday morning, are treating it as an incident of 'criminal damage.'
Flames and smoke billow from the property not far from the home of Mr Flashy
The scene of the suspected arson attack in Finglas
GardaÍ investigating a blaze that engulfed a home on Deanstown Green in Finglas on Friday morning are now probing it as a suspected arson attack.
Sources have confirmed to the Sunday World that officers investigating the fire, which broke out early Friday morning, are treating it as an incident of 'criminal damage.'
A motive for the attack is now being sought.
One line of inquiry is that the blaze may have been deliberately started as a revenge attack against a relative of the innocent property-owner.
'The suspicion is that this relative has made a number of enemies due to his own criminal activities,' a local source told the Sunday World.
'He is suspected of being behind a campaign of thefts in the area and has amassed a lot of enemies because of this.'
The location of Friday morning's suspected arson attack is just a couple of hundred yards from the home of Glen Ward – the man identified in court as the gangster nicknamed 'Mr Flashy'.
However, the attack is not believed to be linked to Ward or his rivals – and none of the people living in the home are involved with the so-called Flashy gang.
Ward (32) pleaded guilty last month in the Special Criminal Court to possessing a Remington AR-15 semi- automatic rifle at his North Dublin home in February 2022.
Flames and smoke billow from the property
Ward earned the nickname Mr Flashy because of his love for designer clothes, expensive watches and luxury holidays.
He directed the activities of a gang known as the 'Gucci Gang.'
The gang has been involved in a number of violent gangland feuds which led to the deaths of both Zachary Parker and Sean Little and their associates Jordan Davis and Hamid Sanambar.'
Ward's brother, Eric O'Driscoll (23), also pleaded guilty to possession of the same gun as his more infamous brother.
During a sentencing hearing for O'Driscoll last year, it was heard that during a search of a home in Finglas in February 2022, gardaí recovered the semi-automatic rifle along with a military grade sub-machine gun and ammunition.
The guns were found to be in good condition and were successfully fired by a Garda ballistics examiner, the detective said.
Det Insp Kelly said analysts found a video clip on the phone in which O'Driscoll could be seen taking the AR-15 rifle from another man and firing it from the rear of a home in Finglas.
A source told the Sunday World that following the incarceration of Ward, people hoped criminality in the area would die down.
'People are hoping this attack is an isolated event and not the start of a fresh round of tit for tat violence,' the source said.
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