A MAN who threw a burning box into a patrol car and attacked a migrant centre during the Dublin riots last November has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.
Declan Donaghey, 28, of Williams Place Upper, Dorset Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to arson, violent disorder, and criminal damage on November 23, 2023.
Donaghey said he was “not a racist” but that he had a close relation in the school in Cavendish Row where there had been stabbings earlier that day.
In a handwritten letter read to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Donaghey apologised “to the government and everyone involved”.
Today, Judge Orla Crowe said the offending was of a very serious nature, where gardai had originally attended to a very serious matter involving children earlier that day.
Judge Crowe noted €16,000 worth of damage to Dublin City Dorms which has the capacity to house 90 international protection applicants but had 50 occupants on the date in question.
However, a further €63,000 was spent on security personnel following the attack.
The judge said Donaghey asserted that he had a very close relation in the school who was in fact his partner’s cousin’s child.
She said she was giving no credit to the accused because there were many people connected to the school who did not go out on the roads and attack gardai.
The judge said he was the sole offender of burning the patrol car which cost money to the Exchequer, describing it as “shameless and senseless” vandalism.
Judge Crowe sentenced him to seven-and-a-half years with the final year suspended on the arson charge to incentivise rehabilitation.
The judge imposed four-and-a-half years on the violent disorder charge and three years for the criminal damage charge with all sentences to run concurrently.
A large crowd of supporters were in court, some of whom looked shocked as the sentence was imposed with others crying.
A few of the supporters saluted Donaghey as he was taken into custody by prison officers. As he was led away, he shouted “scumbags.”
