KEY POINTS:
A man who caused $26,300 damage in the grip of anger and jealousy from a relationship break-up has been jailed for four years.
The woman who was a target of that damage was in Christchurch District Court today to see Patrick James O'Donoghue jailed, but she was still wondering why.
"I know it's caused by jealousy and alcohol but me and Pat loved each other. You don't do that to someone you loved," the woman said to Judge David Saunders.
She was one of three people who had to escape a Dallington house early one morning in August after O'Donoghue had set fire to two vehicles in the back yard.
A week before the fire, O'Donoghue had unlawfully taken a van and had gone to the woman's home where he rammed it into her parked car, and the car belonging to her new companion.
He sent text messages threatening further harm before he went to the house in the early morning on August 30. He found both vehicles unlocked in the back yard, put paper under the seats and set them alight. One of them was parked 2m from the house which also caught alight.
The woman and her companion, as well as her 15-year-old nephew, had to escape the burning house.
The total damage bill was $26,300. Not only was the woman uninsured but O'Donoghue already owes $15,749 in fines and reparation from earlier offending, including another episode of wilful damage. He also owes money to Work and Income New Zealand, and to Baycorp.
O'Donoghue's terrible year began early. He was caught on January 1 when he was driving without having slept off the new year's eve drinking - the fourth time he has been caught for that offence.
He committed disorderly behaviour on February 11 and was peppersprayed by the police when he resisted arrest.
Later in February he failed to attend a treatment programme ordered as part of his prison release conditions, and in March he was arrested for breach of his bail when he failed to attend court.
His relationship broke up in July. Judge Saunders told the 26-year-old has partner had loved him when he was sober.
"It was the drunk in you she could not stand."
The break-up led to the threats, damage, and arsons.
O'Donoghue pleaded guilty to the total of 13 charges.
Judge Saunders said he hoped O'Donoghue would receive treatment for anger and alcoholism while in prison. He had not taken his chances to get that treatment in the community, and he appeared to have low motivation to change.
Alcohol abuse had been a long-standing problem. On an alcohol screening test - where a score of eight indicated a harmful pattern of alcohol use - O'Donoghue scored 23.
The judge jailed him for three years six months for the arsons, saying there had been a danger of the occupants being suffocated by smoke and potential danger to firefighters.
He added four months' jail for the drink-driving, and two months for failing to attend his treatment programme as directed. He also disqualified him from driving for 14 months.
- NZPA
