A Dublin teenager who played football with a skull when he vandalised the 1,000-year-old St Michan's Church burial vault has been given six years' detention by Judge Cyril Kelly at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Anthony Dillon (17), of Lindore Buildings, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to charges of arson, causing criminal damage and stealing tools at the site on dates from July 6th to July 9th, 1996.
Canon David Pierpoint told Judge Kelly some of the 60 coffins totally destroyed dated from 1680. The vault had eight burial chambers with about 10-12 coffins in each and it ran under the sanctuary and altar.
Canon Pierpoint said the church salvaged some of the coffins and remains after the vandalism and reburied them. Records of a lot of the coffins were lost in 1922. The vault was now sealed.
Canon Pierpoint added the entire community had been saddened by the attack. It had caused disruption in the church for a number of weeks and had been a huge loss to the State.
Det Garda Anthony Whelan told prosecuting counsel Mr Fergal Foley that Dillon and two other defendants believed valuables were being kept in the vaults of St Michan's.
They took a child's coffin outside and dismembered the body. The defendant played football with the child's head.
A torch used by the three to light their way caused extensive burn damage to the vaults.
Defence counsel Mr Luigi Rea said Dillon had been abusing illegal drugs since he was aged 12.
He was 13 at the time of the attack and in years to come would come to realise how outrageous and uncivilised his crime had been. Dillon apologised and had pleaded guilty.
Judge Kelly said St Michan's was of great historical value to Ireland. The vaults had been there for 1,000 years and should have been there for people in the next millennium.
It was an indication of the architectural integrity of the building that the bodies in the coffins were in such good condition before they were destroyed.
Judge Kelly said the destruction of the child's body was particularly disturbing. The State did not proceed with a charge of sacrilege, but what happened amounted to desecration of a place of divine worship.
It was clear that Dillon displayed an anti-social bias and a propensity for criminal behaviour.
Judge Kelly said the six-year detention term would have been much longer if it wasn't for the youth of the defendant. He said the sentence was unsuitable for review because of Dillon's strong criminal propensity. He also declined leave to appeal.