An Offaly man who tried to kill his brother by dousing him in petrol and setting him ablaze has been jailed for seven years at the Central Criminal Court.
Kenneth Connolly (30) threw a shampoo bottle filled with petrol over his brother William (36) before setting him on fire with a hat he had attached to the end of a pole. He then locked his brother out of the house as he screamed for help.
His brother scaled a barbed-wire fence in an attempt to get to a nearby river but collapsed and neighbours had to put out the flames.
He suffered 65 per cent burns to his body and lost a finger and thumb. Fifty per cent of these were "full thickness" burns.
Fergal Foley SC, prosecuting, said the men were from a "somewhat dysfunctional family". The accused had set out to kill his brother after he came across a copy of their mother's will which left the house to him, but granted residency to his brother, who had a mental illness.
Connolly, of Woodlawn Drive, Clonbollogue, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder his brother William (36) in January 2005.
Mr Justice Paul Carney said it was a crime that had been viciously planned and noted it was an extremely aggravating factor that once the victim was on fire the accused set about accelerating the fire that was already going with petrol.
"I can't think of this case having any comparison in my time in this court and that seems to me to impose an obligation to ensure this line of crime does not develop . . . the first thing that occurs is the writing of John B Keane, but this is no Abbey comedy or drama."
Garda Insp Pat Murray told Mr Foley that Connolly lived at the house in Clonbollogue with the victim, his widowed mother, his older brother and his younger sister. He agreed William Connolly was a recluse who had mental health problems and did not communicate with anyone other than his sister Christine, who looked after and fed him.
Delivering sentence, Mr Justice Carney took into account Connolly's guilty plea, his previous good behaviour and his co-operation with gardaí. The seven-year sentence will date from yesterday, with the final 18 months suspended.