Halloween fire horror: file prepared for DPP

Date Published: 05-Nov-2012

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

A file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions in the wake of the horrific incident in a city nightclub on Halloween night when 21 year-old medical student Matty Sheridan received serious burns to his body.

Mr Sheridan is still battling for life and remains in a “critical, but stable” condition in the National Burns Unit in St James’ Hospital in Dublin, which has some of Europe’s top burns specialists.

A fellow NUI Galway student – who is not known to Mr Sheridan – presented himself to Gardaí the morning after the fire.

The student, who is aged 21 and from Tipperary, made a statement to Gardaí and was subsequently interviewed at length in Galway Garda Station.

A Garda spokesperson said: “The matter is being treated very seriously. Our investigation is ongoing, and all witnesses have been interviewed and CCTV footage has been examined. A file will be prepared for the DPP.”

It’s alleged that the ‘tail’ of Mr Sheridan’s costume was set alight, and burst into flames within seconds.

The Sentinel understands that the entire incident has been captured on CCTV within the nightclub.

Mr Sheridan’s home-made fancy dress costume became engulfed in flames inside Halo nightclub at around 12.20am on Halloween night.

He was dressed as a sheep, and Gardaí believe the adhesive used was highly combustible, and reacted with cotton wool to create an inflammable vapour.

The victim’s family have maintained a bedside vigil in the burns unit since he arrived there last Thursday morning.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel