Courts

Man threatened to set himself on fire outside Garda station

Held lighter above his head for about a minute while gardaí implored him to drop it

A Dublin man poured petrol on himself outside a Garda station and threatened to set himself on fire, a court has heard

Wed Nov 5 2014 - 17:57

A Dublin man poured petrol on himself outside a Garda station and threatened to set himself on fire, a court has heard.

Gareth Byrne (32) held a lighter above his head for about a minute while gardaí implored him to drop it. He eventually did and gardaí arrested him.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Byrne became irate and showed up at the station shortly after gardaí seized his car during a routine traffic check.

Byrne of Swansnest Avenue, Kilbarrack pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment at Clontarf Garda Station on August 7th, 2012.

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Judge Desmond Hogan adjourned the matter to January next and ordered that Byrne be assessed to see if he is suitable for community work. He said he couldn't understand why a man of his age had reacted in such a way.

Garda Manus Keane told Anne Rowland BL, prosecuting, that Byrne's vehicle was stopped during a routine road traffic stop and the car was seized when Byrne was unable to produce proof of insurance. He agreed with Keith Spencer BL, defending, that it was later found that Byrne had the car properly insured.

Mr Spencer said his client became irate and showed up at the station 20 minutes later and told a Garda that he would return and burn the station down. Byrne then took a taxi to a petrol station, bought a can of petrol and took the taxi back to the Garda station.

He went into the station and told gardaí he was going to set the station and himself on fire, saying: “Look what you’ve made me do. I’ve a can of petrol outside. I will set you, me and the station on fire.”

He went back out and took the can out of the taxi and poured the petrol on himself. Byrne then put the can down and took out a lighter, the court heard.

Mr Spencer said gardaí implored Byrne to put the lighter down and after a minute he threw it on the ground and gardaí restrained him.

The father of two now has his own towing company business. His 41 previous convictions include road traffic offences, possession of drugs and possession of knives.

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