Five years' jail for arson attack on Jesuit centre

A "PASSIONATE environmentalist" who caused damage totalling €3 million in an arson attack on the Irish headquarters of the Jesuit…

A "PASSIONATE environmentalist" who caused damage totalling €3 million in an arson attack on the Irish headquarters of the Jesuit Order has been given a five-year sentence.

Noah Bunn (26), a former clerical employee of the Jesuits and member of environmental group Friends of the Earth, set the fire on Good Friday last year because he believed the order wasn't using its "moral authority" to alert the world to the dangers of climate change.

Bunn, of Hardwicke Street, Dublin, who has a law degree from the University of Wales and is from Northampton, England, pleaded guilty to arson at Eglinton Road, Donnybrook, on April 6th, 2007.

Judge Katherine Delahunt said the offence carried a penalty of up to life imprisonment and this case rated high on the scale. She noted that Bunn had excellent family support and, that before setting the fire, he had made sure the sole resident of the building had left.

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She was concerned by a psychiatric report that indicated Bunn was "a very troubled young man" and noted that he was at risk of re-offending because "he is delusional and may have significant problems".

The judge imposed a sentence of five years in jail and ordered the reports be available to visiting psychiatrists at whichever institution he is held.

Garda Brian Flannery told Seán Gillane, prosecuting, that after extinguishing the blaze, Dublin Fire Brigade alerted gardaí to suspicions that it had been started deliberately.

Garda Flannery said Bunn, who had no previous convictions, had moved to Ireland from England and was working through a recruitment agency filling clerical roles in Dublin. Garda Flannery agreed with Martin Giblin SC, defending, that Bunn had fully co-operated with gardaí after handing himself in and had never applied for bail.

Mr Giblin said Bunn was a "passionate environmentalist who was overly concerned at the time with climate change".

His only explanation was that he had been drinking and formed the idea that the Jesuits were not using their moral authority to alert the world sufficiently to the dangers of climate change.

He said this was no longer Bunn's view and he had given an undertaking he would never commit an offence again, no matter how strongly he felt about an issue.

Mr Giblin said Bunn had suffered from depression and substance abuse problems. He held a law degree from the University of Wales and came from a law-abiding family who were deeply upset at the events. He handed in testimonials from many employers who spoke highly of him.

The court had heard gardaí carried out a technical examination of the scene and spoke to the sole resident, a Korean priest, who told them he had seen Bunn deliberately set the fire.

Garda Flannery said Bunn was also observed on CCTV buying petrol and a lighter near the house before the incident. He had caused damage totalling €3,042,000.

Bunn did not return afterwards to the city centre hostel where he was staying, but handed himself in several days later to Mill Street Garda station in Galway and admitted setting the fire.

Garda Flannery said Bunn told gardaí the idea came to him when he was drunk.

He said he bought a knife, cigarette lighter and two containers of petrol on his way to the house, where he let himself in with the key he had and poured petrol over furniture in several rooms.

He called out to see if there was anybody in the house and told the Korean priest that he planned to burn it down. He said he shouted at the priest to get out and pointed to his knife which was stuck under his belt to let him know he would not be stopped.