Courts / Dublin / Report
Arsonist gets eight years for unlawful killing of Angolan man
Summary
A homeless addict, Dean Boland, 35, was sentenced to eight years in prison for the unlawful killing of Ohari Viera, an Angolan man, after Boland broke into a downstairs apartment of a Dublin residential property, stole a rucksack and set fire to the building on 21 August 2018. Viera, who lived upstairs with two other men, had evacuated the building when the fire started but returned to the house for an unknown reason and never re‑entered. The fire engulfed the property, preventing anyone from re‑entering. Boland was convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury of unlawful killing, arson and burglary. He had pleaded not guilty. Judge Elma Sheahan, noting Boland's drug addiction, homelessness and intoxication at the time, imposed an eight‑year sentence, acknowledging the victim impact statement of Viera's daughter and the circumstances that made the case unusual. The sentence runs from the date of his December conviction.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Arsonist gets eight years for unlawful killing of Angolan man. Charges or matters: the offences. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- August 21, 2018 Incident
- 2023-03-30 Publication
Why: He submitted to the court that the fact that Mr Viera went back into the building at the particular time was "very unfortunate", as anyone who tried to get back into the building after him could not actually do so because of the extent of the fire. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: the offences (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Credit: Collins) By Sonya McLean & Claire Henry A homeless addict has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the unlawful killing of an Angolan man whose "complicated journey" in life ended after the home he was living in was set on fire. He was intoxicated when he started the fire but remained at the scene, she also noted before imposed the eight-year prison sentence to run from the date of conviction last December.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Oaklands Terrace
- St James' Hospital
Topics
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