Up to seven families forced to evacuate after asylum seeker allegedly set fire to his own accommodation
Up to seven families were forced to evacuate a block of flats in north Belfast after an asylum seeker allegedly set fire to his own accommodation, a court heard today.
Police claimed Omar Hassan deliberately started the blaze last week just because he no longer wanted to live at the apartment complex on the Antrim Road.
The 46-year-old Somali national appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on a charge of arson with intent to endanger life.
Police attended the building on Friday after Hassan said he had been chased from his flat by a group of men armed with knives. Officers who entered the property to carry out checks found it was filled with thick black smoke.
The court heard a number of families and young children of different nationalities living in the same block had to quit their apartments due to the extent of the fire damage. They have since been relocated to other parts of Northern Ireland.
An investigating detective also disclosed “serious inadequacies” were discovered in the property’s safety equipment. “It really is a miracle that we are not here with something much more serious to deal with,” he said.
Fire Service experts who examined the scene believe the blaze started with a sofa in Hassan’s flat being deliberately set alight. He allegedly told officers at the property: “I don’t want to live here anymore.”
Later, however, the defendant denied the arson and claimed instead he was singled out and racially targeted by others.
Defence solicitor Adrian Harvey said: “The allegation he made is that this incident was all the result of him being attacked by seven men with knives.” No CCTV footage or any other evidence has been obtained to back up that version of events, according to police.
District Judge George Conner was told Hassan has struggled with mental health problems since members of his family were murdered in Somalia.
“He was also shot and he has a number of bullet wounds across his stomach,” Mr Harvey added.
Seeking bail for his client, the lawyer accepted the alleged offence was worrying.
“This seems to have been, on the police case, an attempt by Mr Hassan to get relocated from this property,” he said.
“But taking that type of action would not be the way forward, he should have adopted a different approach.”
Bail was refused due to the risk of further offending.
Remanding Hassan in custody until May 30, Judge Conner stated: “ I don’t have confidence he would abide by any terms I would set.