A man in his 50s has been charged with arson over a devastating fire in Longford Town two weeks ago. Guo Zheng Chen of 9 Belvedere Terrace, Mullingar appeared before a special sitting of Longford District this evening.
He is charged with setting a fire at the site of a Japanese Restaurant operated by his ex-partner’s brother. The local businessman, who is originally from China, was arrested by Gardaí at his home yesterday morning. He denies any involvement in the fire.
The court heard from investigating Garda Shane O’Connor how the accused attempted to flee arrest by jumping from a balcony 5 metres from the ground in a state of undress. Gardaí pursued and arrested him, and he was taken into custody at Longford Garda Station.
On being charged today, he replied to Gardaí ‘they are going to blame all these offences on me’’. Over the course of the last 36 hours, the accused was brought through 5 Garda interviews before being brought before Judge Deirdre Geraghty in Longford District Court.
Mr Chen, who immigrated to Ireland in 2000, is charged with Section 2 subsection 4 of the Criminal Damage Act. Before hearing a contested bail application, Investigating Gardaí brought the court through detailed CCTV footage tracking the accused from his home in Mullingar to Longford Town, driving a black ford car.
It was stated that Mr Chen accepted that CCTV footage showed his travel to Longford and his subsequent driving around the town, and confirmed his presence in the town. Footage showed the accused travelling around the town after midnight, and over the course of 30 minutes, stopping his car in an alley behind the Tashinny Lodge apartments, where he was seen dumping a number of items.
Mr Chen then drove to Bannon Terrace where he parked his car, locked it, walked towards Great Water Street and was seen donning a light-coloured hoody. He denied that subsequent footage of a man in a light-coloured hoody that was recorded moments later from different cameras and that showed that individual traveling around the Longford Shopping Centre Carpark, was him.
That figure on CCTV was shown collecting a trolley from a bay in the Shopping Centre Car Park and walking it through the Geraldine Terrace to Tashinny Lodge where they were seen collecting material and transporting it back through to the Courtyard alongside Grafton Court. Footage played in court presented a camera angle facing away from the source of ignition and covering the arch out of the courtyard.
Flashes of light could be seen reflecting off opposite walls before a figure in a white hoody is recorded fleeing the scene. An individual matching this person is then scene on Capel Lane, St Mel’s Road and Templemichael Terrace.
According to CCTV footage presented by Gardaí , the individual is seen discarding an item on Bannon Terrace, with a subsequent garda search finding a blue lighter and glove. DNA analysis matched a sample taken from the lighter to the accused.
In the final series of CCTV clips shown to the Court, the accused’s car is seen leaving the town, traveling to Edgeworthstown and Ballymahon before arriving in Mullingar, last seen on CCTV on a street close to the accused’s home. Gardaí strongly contested bail for several reasons, with Garda Shane O’Connor stating that the accused was a flight risk and had in his possession on arrest, a plane ticket to China.
Gardaí highlighted their concerns that Guo Zheng Chen was at risk of further contact with or action against victims of the July 28th Fire. These were named as his ex partner and her brother who had recently established the Oyama Sushi restaurant on Grafton Court, that was severely damaged in the fire.
Gardaí also stated their fears that if released on bail, the accused may destroy evidence related to the case. These concerns were challenged by the defence who claimed that the CCTV footage did not give any credence to the Gardaí’s bail objections and stated that no evidence to support those objections had been presented.
The defense barrister stated that her client had not fled the country in the previous two weeks since the fire and therefore was not a flight risk. This was not accepted by judge Deidre Geraghty who subsequently refused Mr Chen bail and remanded him into custody.
In doing so she stated that the seriousness of the crime, the strength of the evidence and the risk of the accused fleeing the country were the deciding factor. Gou Zheng Chen will appear via video link in Mullingar District Court on Monday morning.
