Traumatised victim of four separate car fire attacks says her children are lucky to be alive

Culprit Sean McKinley, 26, was jailed for 17 months on two counts of wilful fireraising, in one case to danger of life.

A traumatised mum who was the victim of four separate car fire attacks says her children are lucky to be alive.

The brave single parent dragged youngsters aged four and seven to safety after one blaze spread from a vehicle to the front of their house as they slept.

The mum, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke out after Sean McKinley, 26, was jailed for 17 months on two counts of wilful fireraising, in one case to danger of life.

He admitted torching cars outside the woman’s home in Chapelhall in March 2024 and February last year.

Two similar charges relating to vehicle fires in September and October 2024 were dropped.

The 36-year-old mum-of-four welcomed McKinley’s jail sentence but said it should have been longer.

She said: “This has been a terrifying time for us. Life hasn’t been the same since and never will be.

“To have this happen once is scary, but four times is going too far.”

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard the woman was targeted for “personal” reasons and McKinley carried out the attacks on behalf of another individual to fund his drug habit.

The mum went on: “If someone has a vendetta against me, fair enough, but don’t bring my babies into it.

“I’ll never forget the look of terror on their faces during the first fire when I managed to get them out of the back door to a neighbour.

“The flames incinerated the front door of the house and badly damaged my oldest child’s bedroom. Luckily he wasn’t at home that night.

“Thinking about what could have happened is the worst part of it.”

Annette Ward, prosecuting, said the mum and two of her children were asleep in their home when the car alarm went off at 2.45am.

Ms Ward told the court: “She saw her black Audi was on fire in the driveway. She called 999 and evacuated the house along with her children.

“A neighbour saw a hooded male running from the burning vehicle which was extensively damaged.”

The attack in February last year also happened in the early hours of the morning.

This time all four children were at home with their mum but the flames from a Range Rover in the driveway didn’t spread to the house.

Ms Ward said: “By this stage the woman had her own ring doorbell camera. This showed a hooded man pouring liquid over the bonnet of the car and setting it alight.

“Firefighters extinguished the flames but again there was extensive damage to the vehicle.”

Police linked McKinley, of Greenwood Crescent, Coatbridge, to a flat bed van that was seen in the street and at a filling station in Coatbridge.

McKinley’s own CCTV footage showed him leaving his home at 3.11am and returning at 3.48am. He was wearing a jacket similar to that worn by the hooded male in the victim’s doorbell footage.

Defence lawyer Tony Linden said McKinley was immature at the time and had used payment for the attacks “to fund his cocaine and alcohol habits”.

The solicitor added: “He is in a very different position now. He is in full -time employment and is in a strong relationship with a child due early next year.”

Jailing McKinley, Sheriff Tony McGlennan said: “These are extremely serious offences. Setting fire to vehicles carries an inherent risk, particularly when in close proximity to houses.

“Matters are aggravated because this was clearly a calculated choice by you. It might have been underpinned by an addiction to drugs, but you had every opportunity to step away.

“You chose to engage with an organised enterprise and, to make matters worse, did it not once but twice.”

The sheriff said the prison sentence would have been longer but for McKinley’s youth, guilty pleas and limited criminal record.

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