Teen pleads guilty to petrol-bombing councillor's home
A teenager who petrol-bombed the home of an outspoken councillor whilst his wife and daughter were present was today sentenced to seven years in jail, with the last two years suspended.
Sean Quinn (aged 17) from Ashwood, Skehard Road, Cork, said yesterday, “I am very sorry for what I done.”
Judge Patrick J. Moran said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, “This kind of behaviour cannot be condoned by any court. It is most serious.”
Afterwards Cllr Chris O’Leary, who is known for his views on anti-social behaviour, said that he had sympathy for the youth’s family, but he welcomed the sentence.
Cllr O'Leary said that he believed it sent out a strong message that the courts would not tolerate anti-social behaviour or people who attacked those who stood up to anti-social behaviour.
"It’s sent out a clear message which I advocated for some time, that people have to be prepared to come forward and go through the process, it’s not easy, it’s traumatic,” he said.
Quinn pleaded guilty to a total of six charges including the arson attack on the home of the Green Party’s Cllr. Chris O’Leary at Loughmahon Road, Mahon, Cork, at around 4 am on July 14 last.
Cllr O’Leary described how he feared that his wife, Angela, their 12-year-old daughter Orla and himself could have ended up in coffins following the petrol bomb attack which happened as they slept upstairs.
Cllr O’Leary woke to a noise and got a strong smell of burning so he went downstairs to discover smoke and flames coming in from the front porch of the house.
He immediately rang the emergency services while dashing upstairs to wake his family.
They were all in deep shock and suffering from smoke inhalation and were taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital for treatment, said Cllr O’Leary in a Victim Impact Statement which he read to the court.
They were out of their home for seven weeks during refurbishment after the fire which caused some €55,000 worth of damage.
The defendant’s mother, Mrs Annmarie Neff, said her son had suffered from ADHD and dyspraxia and had been using drugs since the age of 13.
"I can’t condone what he did and he will have to stand alone today in terms of what sentence he gets but does need a lot of help,” she said.
The two charges related to the O’Leary home were of throwing a petrol bomb which created a risk of death or serious harm to another, and arson at the house in Loughmahon Road, Mahon.
