A man who started a fire in his rented apartment has been given a six-year sentence for arson.
Jonathan Byrne (33), who was mentally unstable at the time due to alcohol and drug misuse, later went on to the roof of the building and threatened to jump but was talked down by gardaí and firemen.
He caused damage and loss of rental income valued at €400,000.
Byrne of Cloonmore Grove, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to arson at Round Garden Apartments, Garter Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin, on September 3rd, 2012. He had two previous convictions.
Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, defending, said his client wished to express his appreciation for the bravery of Garda Ronan O’Malley, as well as the other gardaí and firefighters at the scene. He said Byrne also wished to express his regret and remorse.
Judge Desmond Hogan said Byrne’s mental state was self-induced and had been brought about by his own addictions over a period of time.
“No one forced him to take the alcohol or drugs,” he said.
The judge said the fact that the fire was started in a block of flats could have had "disastrous consequences for other people" but noted Byrne had said he did not wish to harm anyone.
Conditions
Judge Hogan imposed a six-year sentence and suspended the final two years on conditions.
Garda O’Malley told Martina Baxter prosecuting, that he responded to an early morning 999 call from a man who identified himself as Jonathan Byrne and asked gardaí to go to his apartment block.
He said he was going to burn the place down with himself inside.
Apartments
The three-storey block had 32 apartments in it, with 16 on the ground floor and 16 two-storey apartments upstairs.
Garda O’Malley said when he arrived he saw a fire on the second floor of the block. As he looked for an entrance he saw a man standing on the roof wearing tracksuit bottoms and singing “I did it my way”.
Byrne said he was going to jump off the roof and kill himself.Garda O'Malley tried to get into Byrne's apartment but was met by a wall of smoke. He went to the neighbouring apartment and checked it was empty.
Fire brigade
Further gardaí and the fire brigade personnel arrived at 2.20am and the building was made safe. A number of people were evacuated but there were no casualties. Byrne's apartment was fire-damaged and neighbouring apartments suffered water damage.
Byrne refused to leave the roof and was spoken to by gardaí, including Garda O’Malley, and firefighters. The fire brigade put a ladder up to the roof and Byrne agreed to come down.
Garda O’Malley arrested Byrne under section 12 of the Mental Health Act and he was involuntarily admitted to Tallaght hospital.