Arsonist called gardaí to scene of blazes

A drunken young man who set several fires inside a parish hall with which he had “negative associations” is to be sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

David Dunlea (aged 20) called gardaí to the scene after setting the fires in the building across the road from his home and seemed “excited” as he watched them extinguish the flames. He later said setting fires was “highly addictive” and gave him a “thrill”.

Dunlea, of Rathmines, pleaded guilty to burglary and arson at Grosvenor Road Parish Hall on September 28, 2008.

Judge Frank O’Donnell adjourned the case for a month to allow unemployed Dunlea come up with some monetary contribution towards the €2,000 cost of repair to the building.

He commented: “He is out drinking, whereever he got the money for that. I promise him nothing.”

Garda Derek Lawless told Mr Michael Bowman BL, prosecuting, that he and a colleague responded to a 999 call in the early hours of that morning saying two people were in the parish hall and when they attended at the scene they found the building full of smoke.

They entered and searched the building, finding a number of fires set on notice boards, in bins, in the ladies toilets and on the ground over two floors of the building. Gardaí were able to put out the flames with fire extinguishers and found no one inside the building.

Garda Lawless said on exiting the building they observed Dunlea standing across the road. He seemed “highly agitated” and “excited by the commotion.” They detected a smell of smoke from him and he was arrested.

Dunlea initially denied setting the fires but later admitted he had been out socialising that night in Rathmines and on the way back to his house, which is on the same street as the parish hall, he saw the doors of the building were open.

He said he went inside and started the fires. He stayed long enough to make sure they had caught and then went outside and rang gardai telling them the story about two people being in the building.

Dunlea told gardaí he “got a thrill” from setting fires and was trying to stop. He admitted he had not thought about what might happen to the people living beside the building. He said setting fires was “highly addictive” and he got excited by lighting them.

Dunlea has 10 previous convictions for public order and road traffic offences.

Garda Lawless agreed with defence counsel, Ms Maria Lane BL, that he had no convictions for similar offences and that he had “negative associations” with the parish hall.

Ms Lane said there was no explanation for his actions and that he offers his apologies.

She said he loved horses and had been employed at a stud farm in Celbridge until recently when he was let go. She said he was actively looking for work and was attending for counselling.