Threatened to burn down house over a drug debt

By CCC Reporter

A young man who threatened to burn down the family home of someone he claimed owed a drug debt of €500 has been told by a judge that his anti-social behaviour must stop.

Jake Emmet (21) of Glen Hostel, Gardiner St., Dublin 1, went to the man’s home and told his mother that he would come back to the family home and “torch the house”.

He pleaded guilty to making unwarranted demands with menace at a house on May 16, 2022, at Seabury Heights, Malahide, Co Dublin.

He has no previous convictions.

Imposing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last Friday, Judge Martina Baxter said Emmet had shown “clear blatant disregard” by going to the house and making threats to burn it.

She said this is an aggravating feature, noting that Emmet went to the house twice that day.

She said this would have been a “frightening experience” for the occupants and commended them for their bravery.

Judge Baxter said she took into consideration the mitigation, including his guilty plea, lack of previous convictions and expressions of remorse.

She also noted his young age, the “progressive and positive” changes in his life, his pro-social prospects and his engagement with relevant agencies.

She said neither Emmet nor society would be served by his incarceration at this time and imposed a sentence of two and a half years, which she suspended in full for three years on strict conditions.

Judge Baxter said Emmet “needs to realise” that anti-social behaviour “must stop”. She said while Emmet has a “lot going for him”, this is his “one and only chance”.

At a previous sentence hearing, the court heard that the incident at the front door of the family home was recorded on a doorbell camera.

The footage, which was played in court, shows Emmet telling a woman that her son owed money “for green and a little bit of cocaine”.

The woman told Emmet she was shocked, and Emmet said that her son “got drugs off me Da”.

The court heard Emmet’s father was a “career criminal” who was serving a prison sentence and who had walked out on Emmet and his mother when Emmet was a child.

At one point, the woman tells Emmet, “This is ridiculous”, and Emmet agrees, saying, “I know”, and adding that “I’ve had to come all the way out here”.

Emmet told the woman twice that he would burn the house and told her that his Dad had told him to say that.

Before leaving, Emmet told the woman that he would come back by 6 pm and “torch the house” and later asked her, “what time do you want me to come back at?”.

He left, saying he’d be “back up at six or seven” before saying “bye”.

Emmet returned around 3 pm, and the woman told Emmet that her son had since told her that Emmet had added a tax to the debt he owed.

Emmet disagreed and told her, “That’s how much he owes”.

The woman’s husband then told Emmet he was being recorded, and Emmet replied, “Ring the guards, is it” and then left.

Garda Joe Robinson said that Emmet was easily identified because he had given the woman his first name and later gave her his mobile number.

Gda Robinson agreed with Miceál O’Connor BL, defending, that at one stage, Emmet apologised to the woman.

Counsel said that at the time, his client had a total lack of understanding of the trauma he was causing.

He said Emmet has since shown insight into his actions and wished to apologise to the victim.

Counsel said his client had a problem with cocaine use, which had escalated and caused him to end up homeless.

Counsel said that Emmet now said that it wasn’t his father that had put him up to the offending, but it was “more serious” people he was hanging around.