Listen to this article Man Causes Damage Worth €18,000 With Industrial Paint Over Parking Row
Introduction
Recently, Leroy Farrelly, a 46-year-old man residing in Mayeston Drive, St Margarets Road, Finglas, received a three-year suspended sentence for his act of throwing industrial paint over a house, resulting in over €18,000 worth of damage to the property owners.Farrelly claimed that a row over parking was the reason for his actions.
Identification and Impact on Homeowners
High-quality CCTV footage captured the incident, and it was later broadcast on RTÉ’s CrimeCall, leading to Farrelly’s identification as the culprit. The homeowners, residing in the targeted house, were unaware of the reason behind the vandalism or the person responsible for it.
The victim later provided a victim impact statement to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She conveyed that her family was truly frightened and distressed by the incident since they had no knowledge of why their home was targeted with such malice. The stress and anxiety caused by the crime had a significant impact on their family.
Offense and Guilty Plea
On March 9th, 2020, Farrelly committed the offense of criminal damage to a property at Clonliffe Road. He pleaded guilty to the offense in court. The court took note of Farrelly’s four previous convictions, but they were deemed irrelevant to the current case.
Evidence and Sentencing
After hearing the evidence, Judge Martin Nolan adjourned the case to consider the matter. In his judgment, he noted that Farrelly’s actions had been committed “out of malice or some type of vengeance”. He also stated that it was “inexplicable that a grown man would behave in such an immature way”.
The judge acknowledged that the homeowners had suffered significantly as a result of the damage, but also noted that Farrelly was a man of responsibilities and that this was his one fall from grace in 25 years.
Mitigating Factors and Compensation
The mitigating factors in the case included Farrelly’s early guilty plea, his remorse, and his lack of relevant criminal convictions. Despite this, the judge found that Farrelly’s actions were still serious and warranted a significant sentence.
Judge Nolan sentenced Farrelly to a three-year suspended sentence, meaning that he would not have to serve any time in prison as long as he complied with the conditions of the sentence. The judge also ordered Farrelly to pay €2,200 immediately to the victim as compensation for the damage caused. In addition, the court granted Farrelly a 12-month period to gather an extra €7,800, which he could offer to the victim as supplementary compensation, subject to her agreement.
Defense and Apology
Farrelly’s defense stated that on the day of the incident, he was taking medication for a slipped disc and had lost his dog. He argued with a man about parking, and his reaction to it was poor. This caused him to become frustrated and angry, resulting in him directing his feelings towards the victim’s property.
The defense also mentioned that Farrelly had written a letter of apology and had brought €1,900 to offer as compensation. Farrelly accepted responsibility for his actions and put his hands up at an early stage.
The defense further stated that Farrelly, a married father-of-three, was a hardworking man who was the main breadwinner in his family. However, he was currently experiencing financial difficulties. They asked the court to take this into account and give him more time to come up with further funds.
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