Arson and drug offender jailed for four years

An arson attack on a shopping centre that caused over €1m worth of damage to six outlets resulted in the culprit who once worked in the centre being jailed for four years today.

Brendan Twohig, (20) of Oakdale, Maryborough Hill, Douglas, Cork, admitted starting the fire at Douglas shopping centre on September 9 2001.

He worked for Tesco for a year collecting trolleys in the car park and returning them to the centre.

Judge Patrick J. Moran sentenced him today at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Garda Kevin Long saw flames coming from a section of the centre fronting on to Douglas Village at 3 a.m. that morning. He notified the fire brigade immediately and they informed gardai that it appeared to have been started deliberately.

By 8 a.m. gardai had identified a number of suspects on security tapes from the area and Twohig was arrested. He admitted his involvement.

Apparently he had been lighting plastic with a cigarette lighter and letting the burning drops fall into a cage packed with papers and cardboard that was outside the centre. The fire caught and extensive damage was caused to premises including the Bank of Ireland, Hills newsagents, Leonard’s beauty

salon, Falvey’s chemists and an office unit used by the owners of the centre. Damage totalled €1,181,000.

Defence senior counsel, David Goldberg, said the defendant had a serious drink and drugs problem. In fact the accused also pleaded guilty to two counts of having ecstasy for the purpose of sale or supply to others on two separate occasions.

Garda Seamus Maher gave evidence of the defendant being caught on March 24 and April 21 2001 with packets of ecstasy stuffed down his boxer shorts. The street value of the two lots of drugs was €5,500.

And Garda Patrick Harrington said the defendant also committed an armed robbery at Maddens Foodstore in Park Gate, Frankfield, Douglas, Cork, in which staff were threatened with a knife and a small quantity of cash was stolen.

Judge Moran commented that the arson resulted from the defendant’s use of drugs and general waywardness. Gardai said the defendant came from an extremely respectable background and

the parents had done everything they could for their son.

The four-year sentence was backdated to May last year as Twohig was in custody since then.