Set garda’s private car on fire

By David O’Sullivan

A man who set a private car belonging to a garda on fire said he thought he was dreaming at the time, a court has heard.

Keith Riggs (40), of Deanstown Avenue, Finglas, Dublin 11, appeared before Judge Elva Duffy in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday having pleaded guilty to arson, making threats to kill and threats to cause damage in 2020.

Garda Garret Cooke told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that Riggs set a garda’s private car on fire while its owner was out on patrol on August 13, 2020.

The car had been parked outside the Bridewell Garda Station while its owner was on duty. The parking place had been marked as somewhere gardai could park their cars.

The court heard Riggs approached the car at around 10.30pm while carrying a Dunnes Stores bag.

He then took an accelerant from the bag and poured it under the car and on a wheel. Riggs lit the accelerant on fire, causing the car to burst into flames before leaving the area.

Gardai were called to the scene and the car’s owner became aware of what happened. CCTV footage was also obtained.

Gardai searched the area for Riggs, but didn’t find him that day.

They recovered the Dunnes Stores bag with a red jerry can and plastic gloves inside.

The CCTV footage was circulated amongst gardai and Riggs was identified. He was later arrested on September 3, 2020.

While being cautioned at the Bridewell Garda Station, he asked to be brought out for a cigarette.

As he was smoking, he said he said he was going to light the owner of the apartment he had been staying at on fire.

He was then detained for making a threat to kill.

At some point, he asked to speak with his solicitor but was told he wasn’t available at the time.

Riggs then told gardai: “You’ve caused me enough hassle. I burned one car, I will burn the whole station down.”

Forensic analysis found Riggs’ DNA on the Dunnes Stores bag and the plastic gloves.

A victim impact statement handed in to the court said the burned out car had cost €12,500 but that the vehicle had been insured.

Keith Spencer BL, defending, said his client was “someone who was very mentally unwell at the time.”

“He wasn’t taking his medication at the time of this,” he said, “He was under a delusion that he had been followed by four hooded men and that they were gardai.”

Mr Spencer said his client had serious problems with drugs from an early age and has been addicted to heroin from the age of 14.

However, he said his client is not currently taking any illicit drugs.

He said Riggs was sorry for what he did and wasn’t in his normal state of mind at the time of the offending.

He told the court that when Riggs was arrested, he said “Sorry, I thought I was dreaming.”

Riggs has 31 previous convictions, including some for arson, endangerment, public order, obstruction, possession of knives, trespass and threats to damage property.

Riggs is currently serving an 11 year sentence for a separate offence of arson.

In sentencing, Judge Duffy said “arson offences are always very serious.”

Aggravating factors were listed as the fact Riggs has another conviction for arson, that the attack came out of a level of animosity against the gardai  and that the consequences of the incident could have been significant.

Judge Duffy also said the threats to kill and cause damage “weren’t idle.”

Mitigating factors included Riggs’ guilty plea, that this incident predates the offence that Riggs is already serving a sentence for and that Riggs had mental health issues.

“I cannot go so far as to say that the delusions make him lacking in culpability,” said the judge, noting that there had been no medical evidence saying as much, but she said she would take into account Riggs was experiencing significant mental health issues at the time.

Judge Duffy sentenced Riggs to four and a half years imprisonment.

This is to run concurrently to the sentence Riggs is already serving