Mon. May 5th, 2025


Hayley Halpin and Ashleigh Swan

BBC News NI

Laura Brady Doorbell footage shows the outside of a home, with a fire lit up to the right hand side. Laura Brady

Doorbell footage shows the moment the fire began outside the property

The daughter of a 69-year-old Londonderry woman whose front door was set alight in an arson attack has said she has “no idea” why her house was targeted.

The incident happened at 03:05 BST on Saturday in Gweebara Park, in the Foyle Springs area of Londonderry.

Ring doorbell footage from the property shows a man pouring an accelerant onto the front door and porch before setting it alight and running off.

Laura Brady said her mother had been asleep when the attack took place.

“My mummy would be a pretty light sleeper… she has a summer seat outside her bedroom window so she heard that move,” Ms Brady told BBC News NI.

“That kind of startled her, so she woke up and she looked out her bedroom window at the side. The next thing there was just a big explosion.”

Ms Brady’s brother-in-law who lives nearby made his way to the house after hearing about the fire.

“The house was just totally filled with black smoke because the curtain at her front door had set alight as well. It was all coming inside,” Ms Brady said.

“He was able to open the door and get the curtain out and put most of the fire out. Within 10 minutes the police, ambulance and fire brigade were here,” she said.

She said her brother-in-law has been left with burns on his hands from dealing with the blaze.

“It was just absolutely shocking what happened,” Ms Brady said.

Laura Brady The porch of a home, with red brick walls, with black soot along the window and rubble on the ground. Laura Brady

The aftermath of the attack in which damage was caused to the house

‘She’s just pretty shaken’

Ms Brady said her mother is “ok” but is “pretty shaken” and has “absolutely no idea why anybody would target her home”.

“My mummy has lived here 45 years and never a minute’s bother,” she said.

“It’s a pretty quiet street and everybody gets on really well. It’s just the absolute shock of why it happened.”

Mistaken identity?

Ms Brady said it was potentially a case of mistaken identity as the culprit did not try to break in.

“He literally came and tried to set the whole front door on fire,” she added.

“I would just love to know his reasoning for why he would do that. I would love to ask him: ‘What was your intention? Why would you target my mother’s house?'”

The attacker was wearing a dark top with the hood up and dark tracksuit bottoms. He had his face covered.

Police are treating the attack as arson with intent to endanger life and have appealed for information.



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