Longford arsonist who set fire to a house late at night loses appeal against six-year jail sentence
An arsonist who set fire to a house late at night has lost an appeal against his six-year jail sentence.
Lee Goodchild had appealed a sentence imposed in July, 2021 at Mullingar Circuit Court by Judge Keenan Johnson, who had jailed Goodchild over the arson offence, contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act. The offence occurred on August 26, 2019, at Rattan Ash Road, Mullingar, Westmeath.
Mr Goodchild, of Lisbrack Road, Longford, was sentenced to seven and a half years' imprisonment backdated to April 16, 2021, with the final 18 months suspended for 10 years.
The appellant had argued that the trial erred in law and principle when identifying a headline sentence of 10 years.
Mr Goodchild, now 22, had pleaded guilty to the arson while his co-accused had pleaded not guilty. He was both out on bail and serving the suspended portion of a separate sentence at the time of the offending.
The court heard that €1,500 worth of damage was done to the door of the house without any compensation being paid.
The court heard that Mr Goodchild and a co-accused man met in a pub on the night and that Goodchild had told gardaí, when interviewed: "It wasn't very well-planned, it was stupid. Something we put together there in the pub, something to scare her into giving my stuff back."
Mr Goodchild was caught on CCTV filling petrol into a container at a nearby forecourt before placing a rag on the letterbox of the house. A flash was then seen.
Today (Monday, October 10), at the Court of Appeal, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said that arson carried a range of options for the trial judge that included anything from a non-custodial sentence to life imprisonment.
She said the judge did not err in identifying 10 years' imprisonment as a headline sentence for a "pre-planned" offence by Goodchild who carried out the attack at a house at night when it was "reasonable" to think the occupants were asleep.
She said the offence caused "considerable impact" to the occupant who had to jump out a front window to put out the blaze.
Ms Justice Kennedy said the trial judge did not err when sentencing Mr Goodchild to seven-and-a-half years and noted that he was on bail and on a suspended sentence at the time.
She further noted that Mr Goodchild had two criminal damages convictions at the time of the arson and had little possibility of paying any compensation.
She then dismissed the appeal.