A drug addict who set fire to an apartment causing the deaths of her two friends has been given a 15 year sentence with the last five years suspended.
Rachel Crawshaw, 28, had pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of John Palmer, 37, and 36-year-old Greg Lonergan at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Crawshaw, of no fixed abode, also pleaded guilty to arson at Granary Court, St Joseph's Road, Mallow, Co Cork between 12-13 March 2014.
Sentencing her today, Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said it was one of the most serious and heinous of crimes.
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Inspector Michael Corbett told the court that Crawshaw, Mr Lonergan and twin brothers John and Christopher Palmer had been drinking heavily together that night.
Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at the Granary Court complex shortly after midnight.
Inspector Corbett said Crawshaw was so reckless that she remained in the burning building until gardaí rescued her.
He said she had to be prevented from going back inside the building where Christopher Palmer was found face down and unresponsive on the stairs.
Two gardaí evacuated other residents and tried to get into the top floor apartment where the two deceased were but could not because of the extremity of the heat and smoke.
Both gardaí were later hospitalised.
The court heard Crawshaw was a chronic alcohol and drug addict who had "a chaotic upbringing."
Counsel for the defence, Marjorie Farrelly, also said Crawshaw was never known to have been violent despite her long history of addiction.
Ms Farrelly said Crawshaw had self-harmed earlier that night and was hospitalised but discharged herself and went back to the apartment building to continue drinking.
Ms Farrelly said her client had been in a number of damaging and abusive relationships over the years and had asked her to convey to the families her deep remorse and devastation at what she caused to happen.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Lonergan's ex-wife Sonia spoke of the impact of her husband's death on her and on their young son, Greg Junior.
She said: "I have lost my best friend and I could not believe that he is gone, gone forever.... my life will never be the same again".
Mr Lonergan's sister Caroline said that there were no words to describe the pain, anger and despair her family felt on learning of her brother's death.
She said the manner in which he died haunted them.
His mother, Eileen Cummins, described him "as the light of my life...he had a smile that could light up any room...I have lost my interest in life and my joy is gone".
Christopher Palmer also told of the impact that the death of his twin brother was having on him.
He said: "Not alone did I lose my brother, we were very close, we were always there for each other from the day that we could walk".
He also paid tribute to Garda Liam Phillips and Garda Caitriona O'Sullivan who saved him, saying "I am very lucky to be alive...only for the bravery of the two gardai who pulled me from my burning flat".
Judge Ó Donnabháin said this was an appalling case that has had devastating consequences for the lives of the Lonergan and Palmer families.
He said the loss to them is huge and palpable, increased by the circumstances of death in a house fire which was deliberately set.
