No jail for arsonist if he stays off drink

A convicted arsonist who set fire to an apartment in Limerick avoided jail yesterday when he gave an undertaking at Limerick Circuit Court to stay off drink and drugs.

A defence lawyer said Gary Mason, aged 25, of Lord Edward St, Limerick, had kicked a drugs and drink habit and become a Christian thanks to an outreach group developed for New York street gangs and was now on a “journey to recovery”. He has “turned his life” around, the court heard.

Over €15,000 worth of damage was caused to a ground-floor apartment on Limerick’s South Circular Rd on December 5, 2010, after it was set alight by Mason.