Arsonist gets 10 years
An arsonist who carried a lifelong grudge for the rejection of his application to join the Gardaí was jailed for ten years for setting fire to a house of apartments where a young woman died three years ago.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed the sentence on Oliver Walsh, 47, of St John’s Terrace, Roman Street, Cork, on the one charge of committing arson at Langford Row, Summerhill South, Cork, on April 9 2002.
27-year-old Karen Quinlivan from Galway City was staying at an apartment at Langford Row, Summerhill South, Cork, that weekend and she died as a result of the injuries she suffered in the lunchtime fire.
“As far as Walsh is concerned everybody else seems to be to blame. I cannot help it if he did not get into the guards. I cannot understand how it could be carried as such a hurt that it caused this much mayhem,” Judge Ó Donnabháin said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
Detective Garda Tony O’Flynn said Walsh had 91 previous convictions, three of which were for arson.
Garda O’Flynn said he would agree with the psychiatric report on Walsh where he was described as a very dangerous man who had no appreciation of the danger he posed to himself or others by lighting fires.
Judge Ó Donnabháin agreed and said that Walsh was a dangerous man who was likely to start further fires if he was not treated.
After starting the fire for which he was sentenced, Walsh returned to his bedroom and went to bed
despite the fact that the fire had started downstairs.
Earlier this year a jury of eight men and four women gave their 10 to 2 majority decision after a week of evidence in the case.
In relation to the fatality in the fire, the judge said he could not take account of it.
“The fact that there was one unfortunate person who died in the fire is not a fact I can consider in sentencing. I can only sentence you on the charge on which you have been convicted,” he said.
He expressed the hope that Walsh could be given treatment in prison for his propensity to light fires.
