The sons of a grandmother killed by her own grandson in a house fire have described how they are the ones left "serving a life sentence".
Chanatorn Croghan, 21, admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility after setting the blaze that killed 89-year-old Vera Croghan in her Unthank Road property on December 11, 2020.
A statement released by the victim's sons, Michael and James, after Croghan was sentenced to a hospital order on Friday (October 14) described how the case has "split our family" and left them "serving the life sentence".
It said: "Although Chanatorn has pled guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, and now sentenced to a hospital order with restrictions, in our eyes he will always be guilty of murder.
"Particularly given the cruel and senseless way he killed our mother – she was burnt alive in the home where she had lived for 57 years."
The statement added: "No sentence can make up for the loss of our dear Mum. She had four children, 10 grandchildren, and was known and loved throughout the entire community.
"We miss her every day. The manner of her death at the hands of her grandson has been totally devastating and has split our family. We know we will never be the same again.
"We are the ones serving the life sentence."
Mrs Croghan's sons said they believed Croghan "continues to pose a significant and real risk to the public".
They said: "We are concerned that if and when he is released that there might be inadequate supervision to ensure that he continues to comply with his medication."
The case has lifted the lid on a history of mental health problems suffered by Croghan.
In the statement, the victim's sons said Croghan appeared to have "a clear pattern of behaviour - stable when taking his medication but psychotic when not".
"As far as we know on at least six occasions in the last two to three years Chanatorn stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication and became unstable and violent," they continued. "On one such occasion he deliberately set fire to our mother’s house while she was sleeping."
They said Croghan had been sentenced on the basis of psychiatric evidence that they have not been allowed to see "and which was not tested or challenged at all in open court".
They said they looked forward to an inquest into Mrs Croghan's death when they hope more facts about what happened will be made available.
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