AN ARSONIST who carried a woman to safety from the area he set on fire has been jailed for six years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Fingerprints sent through Interpol revealed that the true identity of defendant Andrew O'Brien was Alexander Taylor a native of the Divis Flats area of Belfast, the court was told by Garda Brian Alcock.
Counsel for the defence Mr Patrick Marrinan, said his client insisted that his real name was Andrew O'Brien and the second was an alias. After the fire, he was given a box of chocolates by a woman he carried to safety.
O'Brien (31), of Lourdes House, Dublin 1, admitted causing arson at Summerhill on December 28th 1994. Judge Michael Moriarty said O'Brien did not intend to cause injury or damage but he started the fire in a building which was vulnerable to arson. There could have been tragic consequences for life and property.
Judge Moriarty noted a letter from Mountjoy Prison stating O'Brien was well behaved. He had a tragic family background in Belfast and he had not yet accepted he had a serious drink problem.
The sentence was backdated to start when O'Brien went into custody a year ago and the final two years were suspended on strict conditions.
Garda Alcock told the prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Coffey, that the incident followed a drunken row at a party in Lourdes House to which gardai were called. Shortly after one of the participants left, it was discovered that tobacco belonging to a third person was missing. O'Brien became annoyed and, very drunk followed the suspected culprit to a Summerhill flat. When he could not get in, he lit rubbish which was under a stairs.
When a blaze started, O'Brien became frightened and raised the alarm. The fire brigade dealt with the fire, which caused general smoke damage. O'Brien was arrested later and admitted causing the blaze.
The defendant had nine previous convictions in England and Scotland under the name Alexander Taylor and one in Ireland as Andrew O'Brien. Garda Alcock agreed with Mr Marrinan there was no other admissible evidence against O'Brien.