Carryduff woman pleads guilty to manslaughter of OAP neighbour

A Co Down woman today admitted killing her elderly neighbour who died following a blaze at his home almost two years ago.
By The Newsroom
Published 13th Apr 2016, 14:16 BST
Updated 13th Apr 2016, 14:22 BST
Forensic officers at the scene of the fatal fire at Thorndale Park, off the Hillsborough Road, in Carryduff, in September 2014. Picture: PacemakerForensic officers at the scene of the fatal fire at Thorndale Park, off the Hillsborough Road, in Carryduff, in September 2014. Picture: Pacemaker
Forensic officers at the scene of the fatal fire at Thorndale Park, off the Hillsborough Road, in Carryduff, in September 2014. Picture: Pacemaker

Karen Hasson, 58, of Thorndale Park, Carryduff, appeared in the dock of Downpatrick Crown Court where the case had been listed for mention.

Defence counsel Paddy Little QC asked Judge Piers Grant for Hasson to be re-arraigned on the first count of manslaughter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When the charge of killing 91-year-old Samuel Carson on September 2, 2014, was put to her by the clerk of the court, Hasson replied: “Guilty.”

Prosecution lawyer Sam Magee told the court: “The guilty plea is acceptable to the Crown. The two remaining counts of arson endangering life with intent and arson endangering life are to be left on the books and not to be proceeded with without the leave of this court or the Court of Appeal.”

Mr Little QC asked for a pre-sentence report, adding that a psychiatric report would be obtained ahead of sentencing.

Judge Grant adjourned sentencing until May 13 and released Hasson on continuing bail.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

No details of the charge were given in court today but at a previous hearing a court heard that pensioner Sam Carson had been asleep in bed at his Carryduff home in the early hours of September 2, 2014 when a fire in the garage of a neighbouring house in Thorndale Park spread to his adjacent Hillsborough Road home.

At the time it was reported that the garage blaze spread to Mr Carson’s oil tank, causing the pensioner’s bungalow to go up in flames.

Firefighters rescued Mr Carson from his home but efforts to revive him failed and he was declared dead at the scene.

Fire Service group commander Kevin O’Neill at the time described the circumstances of the fire as “tragic”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It took 40 firefighters to tackle the blaze but they could not save Mr Carson.

He said at the time: “When we arrived we saw that the fire had spread from the garage to an oil tank, which had ruptured causing the rupture of a second oil tank, and the running heating oil from these two oil tanks ran downhill into another property, and the occupant in that property subsequently died as a result of the fire.”

Mr Carson was a well-loved member of the local community and had been a long-standing member of Carryduff Baptist Church.

The pensioner was also an animal lover who kept horses.