Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 3067Arson, criminal damage · Co. Dublin · 12 Jan 2025

Richard Kershaw jailed for four years and nine months over cocaine-fuelled arson in Ballyfermot

Richard Kershaw, 37, of Ballyfermot, Dublin 12, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of arson and having three further counts of criminal damage taken into consideration, following a 20-minute spree in which he set fire to and damaged several cars while high on cocaine in January 2025.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced16 May
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
20 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatKershaw had an interaction with a taxi driver outside a pub in Ballyfermot and pulled the taxi's roof sign off. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA Ford Mondeo and a Volkswagen Golf were set alight and both were write-offs. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA Skoda Octavia taxi was set alight and had to be written off. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatEach vehicle had its back window smashed and it appeared some type of accelerant was used. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatKershaw threw an object through the front passenger window of a Ford transit van, which was destroyed by arson. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe rear window of a BMW was smashed after a rock appeared to have been thrown through it. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatKershaw was found nearby around 40 minutes later in a highly intoxicated state. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeKershaw was taking around €100 of cocaine a day at the time of the offending. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeKershaw was also experiencing mental health issues at the time. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationKershaw was arrested and his detention was suspended for six hours; nothing of evidential value was obtained when he was interviewed. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeKershaw pleaded guilty to four counts of arson. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThree further counts of criminal damage were taken into consideration. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge Martin Nolan sentenced Kershaw at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtFive victim impact statements were handed to the court. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge set a headline sentence of eight years, reduced to six, with 15 months suspended on conditions including Probation Service supervision. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherKershaw has 45 previous District Court convictions, including 33 for road traffic offences. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe damage to vehicles and loss to injured parties amounted to about €50,000. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherKershaw has since attended residential treatment for his addiction. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherKershaw lives with his mother, who is in poor health. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherKershaw has no previous similar convictions. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 16 May2026
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Man blitzed on cocaine who set fire to cars for no apparent reason sent to jail

    Sentencing report: Judge Martin Nolan at the Criminal Courts of Justice set a headline sentence of eight years, reduced to six, with 15 months suspended on Probation Service conditions, resulting in four years and nine months in custody. Defence counsel Nicola Cox BL argued the offending was linked to Kershaw's cocaine addiction and a mental health crisis.

    convicted, Richard Kershaw, 37, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Richard Kershaw