WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: Alexis Lee Campion, 44, was drenched in an accelerant and set alight in a horrific attack on her doorstep in Clondalkin – her family say she may not survive
The devastated family of a mum-of-two who was doused in an accelerant and set on fire on her own doorstep have said they fear she may not survive. Relatives of Alexis Lee Campion say she has been left “unrecognisable” after the sickening attack as she fights for her life in hospital with third degree burns.
They spoke out as the mum-of-two spends her 44th birthday today in an induced coma with her body swathed in bandages – two weeks after the incident outside her home in Oak Downs, Clondalkin.
In an interview with Dublin Live, one relative, who is among many keeping vigil at Alexis’s hospital bedside, described the incident as “a very dangerous and evil thing.”
They added: “She was such a beautiful looking girl and her whole life now is just in tatters. She’s not ever going to be the same. We never thought it would escalate like this.
“She was trying to get herself together and this happened. She has really been through the mill and now she’s still in a very dangerous situation.
“She’s still critical and they are telling us every day that she’s prone to infections, she’s going to have multiple skin grafts, she has 35% burns, nearly third degree burns, and they’ve gone through the skin.
“Her face is bad and she’s just unrecognisable at the moment. She just got it very bad – her face, her neck, her chest, her arm, her feet, the back of her feet. A lot of damage has been done to her.”
The family member said Alexis is being kept in an induced coma, with relatives facing uncertainty about whether she’ll recover her vision or movement – if she survives at all.
“I don’t know if she’ll be able to see again, if she can even talk. She’s in a medically induced coma. She’s been waking up and they’ve been putting her back to sleep because they don’t want her in any pain and they want the burns to heal,” they added.
Describing her as a “good person,” the relative explained that Alexis found herself caught up in situations she couldn’t control – and is now paying the price. Another family member also spoke about Alexis’s condition, disclosing how doctors had even warned she might not survive.
“We’ve been told by the doctors that she might not make it out of it. She might not walk out of the hospital. At the moment skin grafts are trying to save her eyes, nose and her mouth.
“She’s bandaged from head to toe. If she does pull out of it she’s going to need to be looked after full time.”
Speaking about the attackers, thought to be linked to a local drugs gang, the family members said they cannot fathom how they remain free on the streets.
“I don’t know how they walk the streets after doing something like this. We’re not sure what the outcome is. At the moment she’s still critical so we just have to hope for the best that she will pull through.”
Another relative added: “At first I was told she was dead and then I was told that’s what happened then. I just feel heartbroken even thinking about it. I’m just thinking about the whole attack on her and how vicious it was. I just can’t understand how anyone could hurt such a young girl.”
Earlier it was revealed that Alexis’ partner, named as convicted burglar Francis Maguire, 49, is believed to have been the primary target of a vengeful drugs gang operating in the area.
It is understood the savage gang also attempted to drench Maguire with accelerant, most of which he managed to dodge. In a frantic bid to save his partner’s life, Maguire desperately used his bare hands to put out the flames, suffering burns himself during the ordeal.
A gang of men had arrived at Maguire’s home the day before, wielding knives, which led to gardaí being alerted, though no official complaint was made at the time, Dublin Live reports.
Sourcestold the publication that the attack is a dramatic escalation after a series of incidents at the property in recent years with one neighbour revealing how gunshots were once fired at the house.
“It’s very sad, there have been a lot of incidents but nothing quite like this. That poor woman did not deserve this,” a local said.
The incident has triggered widespread fury, with a local councillor calling for gardaí to treat the case as attempted murder.
Sinn Féin councillor William Joseph Carey, who lives near where the attack took place said: “I believe it to be an attempted murder and it should be treated as such. I live quite close to where this occurred and the local residents here are just in complete shock.
“It’s been quite a traumatic experience for many of them. One or two residents actually witnessed the aftermath after they heard screaming coming from the household. They’re quite traumatised at the moment.”