Courts / Dublin / Report

Jail for teen who set fire to car while "out of his head" on drink and drugs

Summary

Craig Mooney, 19, pleaded guilty to arson at Hillview Estate, Ballinteer, on 13 November 2016. He set fire to a Fiat Punto left at the rear of a mechanic's house while he was intoxicated with alcohol and cocaine. The car was in a garden where a child lived; Mooney claimed he did not know a child was present and would not have acted otherwise. CCTV showed him climbing a wall and igniting the back seat. He had 11 prior convictions for drug possession, traffic and public order offences. Judge Karen O'Connor sentenced him to three‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment, suspending the final year on strict conditions, citing his early guilty plea, remorse and young age. The sentence reflects the serious risk to property and human life created by the arson.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jail for teen who set fire to car while "out of his head" on drink and drugs. Charges or matters: arson at Hillview Estate, Ballinteer on November 13, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 13, 2016 Incident
• 2017-05-19 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Public Order Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report