Ballygar man remanded in custody over Garda station fire

Jason Mongan, of 2 Cloonlyon, Ballygar, brought a piece of his duvet cover with him from home when he went to burn down Ballygar Garda Station on the evening of June 19, last year.

Mongan broke the front window, lit the piece of duvet he had brought with him and threw it into the front office of the Garda Station which was unmanned at the time.

Sergeant Marie Hession told Galway Circuit Criminal Court the ensuing fire caused €10,000 worth of damage.

Mongan, who was accompanied in court by his bride of two months, pleaded guilty to arson, to making threats to kill two eye witnesses and a Garda and to damaging the property.

Mr Justice Raymond accepted Mongan had serious abandonment issues but that was no excuse for his behaviour which could have cost lives that night.

Remanding him in custody until November 19 for sentence, he said he hoped a taste of prison life might help Mongan co-operate with the probation service and prove to the court that he no longer posed a high risk of committing further crime.