Courts / Cork / Report
Businessman who burnt down own premises to be jailed after DPP appeal
Summary
David Healy, 48, of Passage West, Cork, was found guilty of arson after he set fire to his own commercial premises, Munster Air Compressors, on 16 December 2014, causing damage over €200,000. He pleaded not guilty to the arson but later pleaded guilty to a second charge of attempted deception on 8 January 2015. On 15 May 2018, Judge Gerard O'Brien sentenced him to a 10‑year suspended term and a €33,000 fine. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, and the Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice George Birmingham, ruled the original sentence was "unduly lenient." Healy was re‑sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, with the final five years suspended for the arson, credit for ten weeks already spent in custody, and a wholly suspended three‑year sentence for the attempted deception. He will begin serving a net jail term of two years on 13 May.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Businessman who burnt down own premises to be jailed after DPP appeal. Charges or matters: arson that caused more than €200,000 worth of damage at Munster Air Compressors – of which he was a company director – at Kilbarry Cottages, Dublin Hill, Cork, on December 16, 2014; a second charge of attempted deception on January 8, 2015; attempted deception, the arson charge was fully contested. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- December 16, 2014 Adjournment
- January 8, 2015 Adjournment
- May 15, 2018 Adjournment
- June 2014 Other
- May 13 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2019-04-29 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: arson that caused more than €200,000 worth of damage at Munster Air Compressors – of which he was a company director – at Kilbarry Cottages, Dublin Hill, Cork, on December 16, 2014; a second charge of attempted deception on January 8, 2015; attempted deception, the arson charge was fully contested (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Healy was re-sentenced to seven years imprisonment with the final five years suspended for the arson, with credit for ten weeks already spent in custody. A wholly suspended three year sentence was imposed for the attempted deception, to run concurrently with the sentence for arson.; Mr Gillane said his client was immediately remanded in custody after the jury verdict, and the "slamming of the cell door" on a man who had never been in prison had already achieved the desired effect.
Places mentioned
- Cork
- Cork Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- Appeal's view
Topics
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