2026-05-15
Arsonist jailed for setting fire to cars while high on cocaine
Stage: Sentence
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Sentencing him today, Judge Martin Nolan said that the damage to the vehicles and the loss accrued by the injured parties amounted to about €50,000. "Why he did it is not clear," Judge Nolan said. "He had no personal animus towards the victims from what can be gleaned from the evidence." He noted Kershaw has a "pretty long" record of convictions but has not served time in custody before. "The problem with arson is that when you start a fire, nobody knows where it's going to end," the judge said. "There could have been a lot more property destroyed or injury as a result of the behaviour of this He suspended the final 15 months of that sentence on a number of conditions, including that Kershaw remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for a period upon his release from custody.