A man who poured petrol over a drinking companion and set him on fire causing horrific permanent injuries has been jailed for seven years by Judge Kevin Haugh at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Anthony Gorman sat in an armchair smoking a cigarette while neighbours tried to put out the fire on the comatose victim, while two other men lay on his sitting room floor nearby unconscious from drink.
Det Garda Enda Moore said Gorman had bought the petrol with the intention of burning down the Coral bookmakers premises near his home because he had been refused a bet on a dog which won its race.
His victim, Mr Martin Joyce (26), suffered 60 per cent body burns and was unconscious in hospital for 55 days where he was detained for four months. He had had five operations including skin grafts and would need continuing medical treatment.
Det Garda Moore said Mr Joyce's injuries included psychological overlays. When he returned to consciousness he had difficulty remembering who he was and that he was married with a family. He had restricted movement in the lower part of his body.
Gorman (59), of Glin Road, Coolock, pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to Mr Joyce on May 19th, 1998. He had 30 previous convictions, mainly for larcenies and burglaries in Ireland and England.
Det Garda Moore told Mr Paul Coffey, prosecuting, that Gorman poured a litre of petrol over his victim for allegedly making some disparaging remark about his daughter.
Gorman had been barred from the Coral premises in February 1998 for throwing a brick at a television set. He had succeeded in getting back in unnoticed a day or so before the fire incident and placed a bet on a dog which lost.
The garda said when Gorman then tried to place a bet on another dog which went on to win its race, he was recognised by the manager and refused.
He then went to the Esso Service Station in Artane and bought two litres of petrol with the intention of burning down the premises. One hour later he told a barman in Martin's Pub at Priorswood he was going "to blow up" Coral.
Det Garda Moore agreed with Mr Gregory Murphy SC, defending, that Gorman and his companions had drunk a vast amount of cider and vodka. Gorman had been an alcoholic all his life but had gone "totally around the bend with drink" when widowed in 1996.
Mr Murphy (with Mr Brendan Mulhall) said there was little that could be said in his client's defence. He had expressed regret for the crime, in which drink had played a large role. All his 10 children had been placed in care.
Counsel said Gorman had decided not to go ahead with his plan to burn down the bookmakers for fear that two adjacent shops would also be burned.
Judge Haugh said this was "a truly horrific case". The victim must also have had consumed a lot of drink because he seemingly had not made any attempt to escape and had suffered horrific injuries which had left him with a lot of permanent difficulties.
He took into account that Gorman had not intended using the petrol on his victim though he had bought it for another planned "evil crime" and that an explanation could be found for the offence through drink.
Judge Haugh said he also took into consideration his age, and that Gorman had asked his counsel to express his remorse and made a confession of some kind as well as pleading guilty at an early stage and avoiding a trial.