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'I knew I was going to get her': arsonist jailed for attack on neighbour
Summary
Robert Coughlan, 45, was sentenced to eight years in prison for setting fire to his neighbour's top‑floor apartment on 8 August 2020. He poured petrol onto the floor outside the flat, igniting a blaze that caused about €20,000 in damage to a Georgian house containing seven flats. Coughlan, who suffered from mental illness, alcohol addiction and was on anti‑depressants, claimed he had no knowledge that anyone was inside when he lit the fire. He was taken to hospital after burning his hands. The court noted a history of disputes with neighbours, some of whom had tried to help him when sober. Judge Martin Nolan, considering his impaired judgment, imposed an eight‑year sentence with the final four years suspended, citing reduced moral culpability. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Robert Coughlan pleaded guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'I knew I was going to get her': arsonist jailed for attack on neighbour. Charges or matters: one count of arson at the same address on August 8, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 8, 2020 Incident
- 2021-05-18 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of arson at the same address on August 8, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: The judge accepted that at the time of the incident, Coughlan's judgment was heavily affected by his mental illness, alcohol and anti-depressants and that as a result, his moral culpability was reduced. "If he had set this fire with the intention of harming (the victim) this court would have imposed a sentence of eight to 10 years," Judge Nolan said. Instead, the judge handed down a sentence of eight years and suspended the final four years on a number of conditions.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Castle Avenue
- Dublin
- Georgian house
Topics
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