Man jailed for arson attack on Garda Station

A 37-year-old man has been jailed for 15 years for an arson attack on a

Dublin Garda Station, which claimed the life of a member of the force.

Daniel O’Toole from Cashel Avenue, Crumlin, Dublin was convicted of the 1999

arson attack last month.

He walked into Tallaght Garda Station with two cans of petrol and flares, he told Gardai they had two minutes to evacuate before he set the reception area ablaze.

In a heroic effort to quench the fire Garda Sergeant Andrew Callinan was

killed.

O’Toole had claimed he had caused the fire in an attempt at suicide, however last month he was convicted of arson but the jury failed to return a verdict on charges of capital murder and murder.

Passing sentence on the arson conviction Mr Justice Paul Carney said

considering the jury’s decision he had to decide sentence today, leaving out

the death of Sergeant Callinan no matter how unreal that seemed to the dead

man’s family.