Father of boy (4) killed in Offaly house fire is jailed over €33k heroin seizure

Tom Tuite

The father of four-year-old Tadgh Farrell, who was killed alongside his grand-aunt in a horrific firebombing attack in Edenderry, has been jailed for seven years for a €33,000 heroin seizure.

Aaron Holt (27) faced sentencing on Tuesday when Judge Keenan Johnson described him as the "main driver of a significant amount of drugs" in his locality.

His son Tadgh died at Castleview Park, Edenderry, Co Offaly, on December 7th in a suspected petrol bomb attack, which also claimed the life of his 60-year-old aunt Mary Holt, and left his mother severely injured.

Judge Johnson imposed an eight-year sentence, suspending the final 12 months on condition that he keep the peace, does not reoffend for five years, and obeys a range of conditions.

Holt of Castleview Park, Edenderry, had pleaded guilty at Tullamore Circuit Criminal Court to possessing €32,910 worth of heroin for sale or supply near his home on May 8th, 2024.

The offence, under section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act, is punishable by a possible minimum 10-year sentence.

Co-accused, Shane O'Neill, 26, with an address at Killane Court, Edenderry, also pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply.

Both appeared before Judge Johnson, presiding in Mullingar on Tuesday.

Holt had apologised earlier for his "significant mistakes" over the years and said he now understood the impact they had on him and his family.

Judge Johnson heard that Holt had eight disciplinary sanctions since going into custody in mid-2025, failing a drug test, and having a phone in prison twice, and had also been assaulted there.

He also took into account that the accused was unable to attend the funerals, which must have been most painful following the tragic loss of his child and aunt.

He remarked that the circumstances of their deaths "illustrate the profound negative consequences of involvement in the drug industry."

Dressed in a dark tracksuit, Holt only spoke to acknowledge his signature on his peace bond and smiled at his co-accused during the hearing.

His sentence was backdated to last June when he went into custody.

Judge Johnson noted the guilty plea and also the findings of a probation report that highlighted how Holt was at high risk of reoffending and his long history of crime escalated, resulting in his family being caught up in ongoing intimidation and violence.

Holt did not have the trappings of wealth due to his own drug use, though "tick lists" showed he had almost €164,000 owed to him, which the judge said illustrated the extensiveness of his criminal activity and his "sizeable operation". Some €670 found at his home was seized and is to be donated to charity.

Suspended sentences

Holt, emphasised Judge Johnson, had been given many opportunities to rehabilitate himself but did not take them.

Two suspended sentences were re-entered, but the judge did not activate them; they were taken into account.

A third will be considered at Tullamore District Court next week.

Holt, a father of three, had written to the court expressing his apologies for his mistakes over the past decade and taking full responsibility for his actions.

Holt was subsequently refused bail to attend his son's and aunt's funerals amid Garda fears for his and other people's safety if he were released.

Garda Trevor Mullins of Edenderry Garda Station gave evidence, telling prosecutor Shane Geraghty, instructed by State solicitor for Offaly, Sandra Mahon, that the heroin seizure resulted from CCTV surveillance.

It focused on O'Neill and later Holt's movement of a plastic bag, which gardaí recovered in a lane beside Holt's house. It contained 219 grammes of heroin.

The following day, CCTV footage showed both men searching for the missing bag. In a search of Holt's address, officers uncovered some of his tick lists, as well as other drug paraphernalia, including phones and bags.

At his bail hearing last month, Detective Garda Joseph Bradley, who testified that Holt was "front and centre" of the drug trade and principal supplier in and around Edenderry, said there were fears for Holt's and other people's safety if he were released.

Holt received a nine-month jail term at Tullamore District Court on June 20 last for other drug dealing offences committed while on bail for the heroin seizure.

A few weeks later, in the same court, he received a three-month consecutive sentence for driving without insurance.

His Circuit Court bail was revoked, with his consent, on July 1st, following concerns from the prosecution.

Holt had 59 prior criminal convictions, over 50 committed on bail, with 15 for drug offences, 12 for possession and three for supply.

He also had a history of failing to appear in court, resulting in 15 bench warrants dating back to 2017.

Judge Johnson held that O'Neill, who had no prior convictions, was less culpable. The court was provided with evidence that he attended a residential drug rehabilitation treatment centre.

His primary role was to move drugs and hold one of Holt's tick lists, for which he was paid small amounts of cash or given drugs to feed his habit.

He had also married, moved from the area and has ongoing support to avoid relapsing into drug abuse. Judge Johnson noted that O'Neill had cooperated with gardaí.

O'Neill, in a black jacket, white shirt and jeans, received a two-and-a-half-year sentence with the final 12 months suspended for five years.