Arson of a car to warn the owner to pay a drug debt

By Fiona Ferguson

A man who took part in the arson of a car to warn the owner to pay a drug debt was involved in the offence due to a drug debt of his own, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Dylan Deegan (29) broke the window of a parked car with a wheel brace while his co-accused poured in accelerant before the car was set alight.

Deegan of Citywest Quarter, Dublin 24, pleaded guilty to damaging the car by fire at a car park in Tallaght, on June 10, 2025.

He has 22 previous convictions for offences including robbery, aggravated burglary and assault.

Passing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said there had been a type of plan to burn out a car in parking lot as a warning to the owner to pay their drug debt.

Judge Nolan noted Deegan had become involved because of his own difficulties and placed under some form of coercion.

He said the arson had posed no great danger to any other person or property.

The judge imposed a 21 month sentence which he backdated to when Deegan went into custody.

An investigating garda told Emmett Nolan BL, prosecuting, that gardai responded to reports of a car on fire at 1.15am and found the vehicle in flames, with fire men extinguishing the blaze.

A security guard said he had seen three men loitering in the area. CCTV revealed a white Ford Transit had arrived at the car park at about half past midnight.

A male exited and placed a bag in a  bush behind the car.

About 40 minutes later the accused and two other men arrive.

The bag, containing an accelerant, was retrieved from the bushes and Deegan broke the rear window with a wheel brace.

A second man, who has been jailed for 3 years with 6 months suspended, poured the accelerant in the window and set it alight.

The men made good their escape but Deegan was identified from CCTV.

He was arrested and told gardai he had been in a bad place and became involved because of his own drug debt.

He told gardai he did not know who owned the vehicle.

Vanessa Frawley BL, defending, said Deegan had a difficult childhood with negative experiences including the murder of his father when he was three-years-old.

He has poor mental health and issues with drug addiction. 

She asked the court to take into account his guilty plea.

She handed in a psychological report and outlined how being in custody had focused his mind.

She said he accepts full responsibility and was acting under the orders of others after landing himself in a situation where he built up a drug debt.