Dubliner gets 10 years for killing child
A Dublin man who threw a petrol bomb into a house in Darndale two years ago killing a sleeping child inside, has been sentenced to 10 years, with the final three years suspended.
Last November, a jury found father-of-six, Gerard Redmond (36) of Ferrycarrig Park, Fairfield, Coolock, not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Adam Lieghio at a house in Buttercup Park, Darndale on 23 July 2000.
Adam Lieghio was just a month short of his second birthday when he died of smoke and gas inhalation from the firebomb attack on his grandmother’s home.
Five others, including the grandmother, Margaret Lieghio, the child's mother, Luisa, a teenage boy and two children aged 10 and three, were in the house at the time.
All the other occupants of the house managed to escape but efforts by both family and neighbours to rescue baby Adam failed.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Philip O’Sullivan said he believed the appropriate sentence was 10 years, but he was suspending the last three years on an undertaking from Redmond that he be bound over to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
The judge said it was impossible to adequately summarise the loss of the child and its effect on his parents and family.
He acknowledged that "words such as ‘shattered’ and ‘devastated’" used in the victim impact reports were "appropriate descriptions and were justified."
But he said Redmond was entitled to credit for some things, including his "genuine remorse" and his behaviour since his arrest, when he told gardai he deserved to be punished and refused to apply for bail.
Redmond told gardai he was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine and cannabis when he assembled a petrol bomb and threw it into the kitchen of the Lieghio household.
He attacked the house to take revenge on a member of the family, Steffan Lieghio, who had earlier caused a severe injury to Redmond’s head in an unprovoked attack.
During today’s hearing, the mother of toddler Adam Lieghio had her request to give evidence prior to sentencing turned down by the Court.
Mr Justice Philip O'Sullivan ruled that he did not have the jurisdiction to hear oral evidence from baby Adam's mother, Luisa.
After sentence was passed, Luisa Lieghio’s family said she was too distressed to talk to reporters.
