A man who set a garda car on fire during the Dublin riots of last year has been jailed for six and a half years.
Declan Donaghey also jumped on the bonnet of another and attacked an accommodation centre for International Protection applicants on the night.
The 28 year old pleaded guilty to arson, criminal damage and riot later admitted to gardaí that he “made himself look like a scumbag”.
Judge Orla Crowe said she did not accept he acted in a moment of madness.
Donaghey shouted “scumbags” at gardaí as he was led away to jail this afternoon as the public order unit escorted his family and supporters from the court.
RTE reports that he threw a wheelie bin at one garda car on Parnell Street during the Dublin riots on 23 November 2023, jumped on the bonnet and smashed the windscreen of another before setting a third garda car on fire.
He picked up a burning box and put it into the back seat of the garda car before closing the door and jumping up and down.
Donaghey, of William Street in Dublin, was not wearing gloves, so he ran back to the door handle and wiped it down to erase fingerprints.
Moment Donaghey set fire to garda car during riots
The car was burned out. The value was estimated at over €20,000. The cost to repair the second garda car was over €8,000.
For full report see https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/1120/1482037-declan-donaghey-court/
