West Belfast Arson Attack Leaves Family “Petrified,” Autistic Son “Shaking”

A man residing in west Belfast informed BBC News NI that his family was left “petrified” following an arson attack targeting his vehicle. Nathan Kane reported that his six-year-old son, who has autism, experienced shaking for two hours subsequent to an explosion resulting from his car being intentionally set on fire. Mr. Kane, a plumbing and heating engineer, had recently acquired the vehicle. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has issued an appeal for information and potential witnesses. Mr. Kane recounted hearing a “major bang,” which led his partner, Paula, to believe their son had fallen from his bed. Upon confirming his son was asleep, he proceeded to review his security cameras, where he observed his recently purchased car engulfed in flames. He stated, “I moved my van to stop any explosions.” He added, “I tried to move Paula’s car, but I couldn’t find the keys. “It was also too badly damaged, and it is petrol, so it was too dangerous.” Initially, Mr. Kane believed the fire originated from an electrical malfunction. “When I replayed the CCTV, I was shocked to see two males come up and pour petrol over the car, put the windows through, and set it on fire,” he recounted. He further commented, “For absolutely nothing. They don’t know how serious that could have been.” He concluded, “It was a serious act, and they haven’t realised the consequences of it.” He informed BBC News NI that he remains unaware of the motive behind his vehicle being targeted, stating, “I have no animosity, no grievances with anybody.” Mr. Kane described the locality as “fantastic” and asserted that the incident is not indicative of its residents. He affirmed, “This isn’t going to deter me from living in the area,” adding, “These people have stood by me. The messages have been amazing.” He mentioned that his son continued to shake for several hours following the event. “He keeps saying, ‘Daddy’s jeep’s on fire’. It will definitely affect him, he won’t let it go,” Mr. Kane stated. He continued, “He is getting upset because he thinks we are upset; he is a very emotional child,” concluding, “This attack was wrong and unjustifiable.” Danny Baker, a Sinn Féin MLA representing West Belfast, characterized the occurrence as a “very scary, traumatic” incident for the affected family. He conveyed, “They really just want to know why this happened and to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.” He further remarked, “It is unacceptable; it is not reflective of the community; it is a shameful act.” Sergeant Rooney of the PSNI stated, “Shortly before 05:00 GMT, it was reported that two vehicles were set alight outside a house in the Laburnum Green area.” He added, “One of the cars was completely destroyed, and the second was partially damaged.” According to Sergeant Rooney, “It was reported that two men, both wearing dark coloured coats with their hoods pulled up, were seen spraying liquid on the bonnet of one of the vehicles before setting fire to the inside of it.” He concluded, “The two suspects were reported to have made off on foot in the direction of Twinbrook Road.”