A company director who was found guilty of burning down his own business premises and who lodged an insurance claim for €200,000 in damages, was given a ten-year suspended prison sentence on condition that he make a payment of €33,000 to the State.
47-year-old David Healy, of Tig na Mona, Rathankar, Passage West, Co Cork had pleaded not guilty to the arson at Munster Air Compressors - a company of which he was a director - at Kilbarry Cottages, Dublin Hill, Cork on 16 December 2014.
At his trial last May, he was found unanimously guilty by a jury.
He later pleaded guilty to an attempt of deception in respect of a fraudulent claim of €200,000 from his insurers.
At his sentencing hearing, Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Healy had used six barrels filled with vegetable oil and shredded paper at six separate locations in the building to start the fire.
The court heard that in June of that year, he had increased the insurance cover on the property from €50,000 to €350,000.
Three units of Cork Fire Service responded to the blaze which was well established. The senior Cork Fire Brigade officer who attended the scene became very suspicious of the cause of the fire and made his concerns known to gardaí at the time.
There was also no signed of forced entry or a picked lock.
Judge Gerard O'Brien paid tribute to the "excellent work" of both the Cork Fire Service and the gardaí in bringing the matter to light.
Sentencing him, Judge O'Brien said that Healy's actions were "reprehensible" and involved "wanton recklessness".
He said the actions were "not impulsive, but carefully planned".
The Judge said it was "most fortunate" that no member of the emergency services was injured in battling a blaze that Healy had started purely for monetary gain.
There were also a number of young people on the street outside the premises and Judge O'Brien said it was fortunate that none of them were hurt either.
Judge O'Brien imposed total sentences of ten years imprisonment, but agreed to suspend them for seven years, once Healy paid €33,000 to the State by 16 August.
The court was told that Healy intends to withdraw his insurance claim.
Commenting on the suspended sentence Jackie McMahony, Chief Claims Officer at FBD, said the results send a clear signal that the courts will "convict insurance fraudsters who cheat the honest majority in Ireland."
Mr McMahon praised the work of the investigating gardaí adding that insurance fraud is not a victimless crime as it cost "every honest citizen in the price they pay for insurance."
