A man who set fire to a number of cars in the underground carpark of an apartment complex causing over €700,000 worth of damage and forcing residents out of their homes when he was a teenager has been jailed.
Alex Kane (22) was 17 when he went on a “spree of destruction” first vandalizing and setting fires in an unoccupied building site, then attempting to set fire to two cars in the underground car park of an apartment block, before setting fires in another underground car park in a second apartment block.
Kane was jailed for five years today and received a consecutive one-year term for handling stolen property, after he was caught in possession of a stolen cheque and a cash while on bail for these offences.
He had no previous convictions at the time but now has convictions for offences including burglary, theft and criminal damage.
Kane of Mackintosh Park, Pottery Road, Cabinteely, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two charges of trespass and arson at Fairhaven, Churchview Road, Killiney and at Abbey Glen Apartments, Johnstown Road, Cabinteely on on November 26th, 2014.
He also admitted trespass and criminal damage at Auburn Lodge Apartments, Killiney on the same date.
He further pleaded guilty to handling stolen property at his home on November 6th, 2018. A warrant was obtained to search Kane’s home after he was caught driving a car that had been stolen during the course of a burglary earlier that month. Cash and a stolen cheque for €425 was found during the search.
Sergeant Colm Ó Giolláin told Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting, that eight cars were totally destroyed by the fire at Abbey Glen Apartments in Cabinteely and the two apartment blocks were completely evacuated on the night.
It was noticed that structural damage had been caused to the underground carpark so a number of residents were not permitted back into their homes for a few weeks until the security of the structure was confirmed.
The cost to the owners of the complex was a total of €751,409, which included the re-housing of residents. All but €5,500 was covered by the relevant insurance company.
Sgt Ó Giolláin said Kane was identified as a suspect through viewing of CCTV footage as he has an unusual gait due to arthritis. A driving license stolen from one of the vehicles was found in his home and paint splatters on his clothing matched that of paint in the building site.
Judge Martin Nolan accepted Kane was under the influence of drugs at the time and went on “a spree of destruction”, set fires and caused considerable disruption.
He said he thought Kane was “well capable of reforming” and having read a number of reports accepted that things had happened to him “that should not have”.
“Setting fires is a very serious matter. It is easy to set a fire but more difficult to stop it,” Judge Nolan said before he sentenced Kane to a total of six years in prison.