A teenager was yesterday given a five-year sentence, with two years suspended, for an arson attack which caused over €6 million worth of damage to a plastics factory and resulted in 70 people losing their jobs.
Jason Heaphy (19), Kerryhall Road, Fair Hill, Cork, pleaded guilty to the arson attack at Keytech Ltd, Sunbeam Industrial Estate, Commons Road, on August 13th, 2002, when he first appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court a year ago.
Heaphy - who told Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin that he was on drugs at the time - apologised for the offence. "I know it is serious putting people out of work - I'm sorry for what I did," he said.
A forensic examination of the scene revealed that the fire was started at four locations.
