David Fannin jailed for arson at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

David Fannin was jailed for arson at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 February 2025, receiving a four-year sentence with the final 32 months suspended. The fire was set at a house in Ballymun while a woman and her two young children were inside.

Fannin pleaded guilty to carrying out the arson and intentionally damaging the house’s back door on 24 September 2020. The judge said the court inferred that another man had drawn Fannin into the offence, while finding that Fannin knew his actions were wrong.

One child was wounded by broken glass while trying to escape through a back window Fannin had smashed. The judge declined the defence request for a fully suspended sentence, saying punishment was necessary for the serious offence.