Latest news with #JasonHughes
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Man who set fire to apartment while his father was inside the property appeals sentence
An arsonist who set a fire at an apartment leaving residents, including his estranged father, 'with nothing' has launched an appeal against his eight-and-a-half-year sentence. Jason Hughes (21), of Bawnlea Green, Tallaght, Dublin 24, admitted one count of arson on December 9, 2022. The offence carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Jailing Hughes at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in October 2023, Judge Martin Nolan said there could have been a 'significant chance of fatalities' if one of the occupants of the apartment had not been awake to raise the alarm. The court heard that up to €90,000 of damage was caused during the attack at Pairc Na Greine, Tallaght, and the victims, who included the defendant's father, were 'left with nothing'. READ MORE CCTV footage from the area showed Hughes walking towards the complex before climbing over the balcony's railings. He left shortly afterwards. Two minutes later flames became visible. Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, for Hughes, told the Court of the Appeal on Tuesday that the 12-year headline sentence was too high, that the sentencing judge failed to properly consider Hughes' personal circumstances and that a portion of the sentence should have been suspended to incentivise rehabilitation. He said the offence should have been placed in the middle of the mid-range, attracting a headline sentence of between five and 10 years. A discount should have been applied thereafter and a further portion of the sentence should have been suspended to incentivise rehabilitation, Mr Ó Lideadha said. He said that while there was no doubt this was 'a very serious case' where a custodial sentence was required, the court was bound to take into account the fact that Hughes was a young man, aged 19 at the time, who had lived a 'chaotic life' and who had made a serious suicide attempt on the same day as this incident occurred. He said Hughes had ADHD and other cognitive difficulties and had witnessed domestic violence. Mr Ó Lideadha said one of the victims in the case was Hughes's estranged father. The barrister said there was evidence in the psychological report that Hughes felt 'aggrieved' by his estrangement from his father and had stated he would never have committed the offence had he been sober. But Aoife McNickle, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the circumstances of the case brought the offence into the upper band. She said Hughes was aware the property was occupied by his father and others at the time. Ms McNickle said it could be inferred from the psychological report that Hughes's motivation was due to 'some animosity or anger' towards his father. She said there was nothing put before the court that would have obliged the sentencing judge to suspend any portion of the jail term. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said the three-judge court would reserve judgment and deliver its decision at a later date.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Arsonist (21) who caused blaze at father's home leaving residents 'with nothing' appeals sentence
An arsonist who set a fire at an apartment, leaving its residents, including his estranged father, 'with nothing,' has launched an appeal against his eight-and-a-half-year sentence, arguing part of it should have been suspended to facilitate his rehabilitation. Jason Hughes (21) of Bawnlea Green, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pleaded guilty to one count of arson at Pairc Na Greine, Tallaght, on December 9th, 2022. The offence carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Advertisement Jailing Hughes for eight and a half years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on October 27th, 2023, Judge Martin Nolan said there could have been a 'significant chance of fatalities' if one of the occupants of the apartment he attacked hadn't been awake to raise the alarm. He said Hughes's 'reckless act' had endangered the apartment, the lives of its occupants and the health of other residents of the complex. The court heard that €80-90,000 in damage was caused during the attack and the victims, which included the defendant's father, were 'left with nothing'. A female occupant of the apartment told gardaí that she was in the sitting room of her home at the Pairc Na Greine complex in the early hours of the morning when she heard a loud bang. She looked outside and saw a fire in a corner of the balcony near to the apartment complex's main door. Advertisement The court heard the woman saw the glass smash inwards, and she got pushed against a wall. Scared by the speed of the fire, the woman took a young child who was sleeping in the apartment outside. She then went back inside to ensure that her partner had also left and shouted and made noise to alert her neighbours. Both the apartment and its contents were severely damaged. CCTV footage from the area showed Hughes walking towards the complex before climbing over the balcony's railings. He left shortly afterwards, and two minutes later, flames became visible. Launching an appeal against his conviction at the Court of Appeal today, defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC argued that the 12-year headline sentence was too high, that the sentencing judge failed to properly consider Hughes' personal circumstances, and that a portion of the sentence should have been suspended to incentivise rehabilitation. Advertisement He said the offence should have been placed in the middle of the mid-range, attracting a headline sentence of between five and ten years. A discount should have been applied thereafter, counsel said, and a further portion of the sentence should have been suspended to incentivise rehabilitation. Counsel said that whilst there was no doubt this was "a very serious case" where a custodial sentence was required, the court was bound to take into account the fact that Hughes was a very young man, aged just 19 at the time, who had lived a 'chaotic life' and who had made a serious suicide attempt on the same day as this incident occurred. He noted Hughes has ADHD and other cognitive difficulties and had witnessed domestic violence. Advertisement Mr Ó Lideadha said Hughes's parents had separated when he was eight, and the death of another 'father figure' in his life had a 'devastating effect' on Hughes, leading to him going 'totally off the rails'. 'His offending and his drug activity and suicide attempts occurred in those circumstances of extreme adversity,' he said. The barrister said one of the victims in the case was Hughes's estranged father and noted the appellant's brother had died in a fire before he was born. Counsel said there was evidence in the psychological report that Hughes felt 'aggrieved' by his estrangement from his father and had stated he would never have committed the offence if he had been sober. Mr Ó Lideadha said the trial judge had made a specific error in stating that an accelerant was used. He said the evidence indicated that Hughes set something on the balcony on fire. Advertisement He said Hughes is clearly someone who 'needs residential treatment' and who has 'work to do' in terms of his own life and taking responsibility for his actions. He said it was 'in the public interest' that a portion of the sentence ought to have been suspended to incentivise rehabilitation. Aoife McNickle BL, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, noted the injured parties in this case were present in court for the appeal hearing. Ms McNickle contended that the circumstances of this case brought the offence into the upper band. She noted the fire was set at a residential property in the early hours of the morning, and Hughes was aware the property was occupied by his father and others at the time. Ireland Conor McGregor continues appeal without fresh evid... Read More She said, but for the fact that one of the residents happened to be up at the time and noticed the blaze, the alarm would not have been raised as quickly as it was. The barrister said the fire could be seen on CCTV within two minutes of Hughes leaving the scene and burned 'ferociously enough' to blow in the windows of the sitting room. She said it could be inferred from the psychological report that Hughes's motivation was due to 'some animosity or anger' towards his father. In relation to the argument put forward that part of the sentence should have been suspended, Ms McNickle said there was nothing put before the court that would have obliged the sentencing judge to suspend any portion of the jail term. She said the judge had taken the relevant mitigating factors into account in discounting three and a half years from the headline sentence. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said the three-judge court would reserve judgment and deliver its decision at a later date.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Locals save porpoise on beach in Kilkeel
Helping save a stranded porpoise isn't one of the normal duties for a caravan park that's exactly what Kilkeel man John McKibbin did on Friday McKibbin, from Leestone Caravan Park in County Down, was "sitting in the house with my feet up" when he got the call from some residents "for a bit of help" about a young harbour porpoise that was stranded on a nearby beach. British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said they understand people want to help, but "always recommend they call our 24/7 rescue hotline in order for us to dispatch specialist Marine Mammal Medics". 'Hitting into rocks' "I got a phone call to say the porpoise was on the beach, and there was a crowd in the caravan site getting together to see if they could do something for it," he are two beach areas near the caravan site, so Mr McKibbin had difficulty finding the porpoise at first."Our caravan site is on a corner of the coast and we went to the front beach but couldn't see it."Then we went to the back beach and saw Jason …trying to put it into the water."When he arrived, a resident, Jason Hughes "was in the water with it".Mr McKibbin said he saw Jason "push the porpoise into the sea". "It was hitting into rocks and it obviously didn't have a clear path to get free," he said."I arrived down and said to Jason we need to lift it and put it into deep water." 'A bit distressed' "Jason took his coat off and we put the coat underneath the porpoise, so we just used his coat as a sling to carry it and then we carried it across the beach about 50 ft and then we put it into the water and away it went."Once Mr McKibbin and Mr Hughes picked the porpoise up with the aid of a jacket, "it was pretty easy".He said they thought of using the jacket because "you don't want to put too much pressure on its organs when lifting it up, so thought that the coat would spread the weight over its body."We just put the coat underneath it, and it was flapping its tail about, you could see it was a bit distressed," he said."Whenever we put the porpoise into the water, you could see it swimming away, and it was just coming on the edge of dark, but you could see it swimming on out to sea." 'Happily ever after' Mr McKibbin said when the two men picked the porpoise up, "it actually was sort of relaxed"."It only just flapped its tail when we put it into the water."He swam away, and we watched him until he disappeared under the water completely."It wasn't injured; it swam away on out."Mr McKibbin said it felt "brilliant" to have rescued the young purpoise. "It definitely would have died, because it couldn't get out into the deep water."Rescuing a porpoise was a first for Mr McKibbin, who said: "It's usually people we save on the beach"."Hopefully, it'll go out and find the rest of its pod and live happily ever after." What should you do if you spot stranded sea life? British Divers Marine Life Rescue offer advice about what to do if you find a stranded whale, dolphin or a statement to BBC News NI, BDML said: "Proper health checks are necessary" to determine if a cetacean is "in poor condition or has an underlying problem" and the BDML "dispatch specialist Marine Mammal Medics to respond appropriately to the animal, acting on their best welfare interests".
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Democratic lawmakers demand Louisiana sheriff resign after 10 inmates escape jail
Print Close By Adam Sabes Published May 21, 2025 Two Democratic lawmakers in Louisiana called on Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson to resign following the escape of 10 jail inmates. Louisiana House Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman, who represents a portion of New Orleans, called for Hutson to resign on Monday. In a Facebook post, Freeman said the escape of 10 inmates represents an "alarming failure of leadership." Law enforcement officials have arrested five escapees after they broke out of the Orleans Justice Center on Friday "Susan Hutson's most fundamental responsibility is to keep inmates in custody – and she failed. Rather than take accountability, she's pointed fingers elsewhere," Freeman said. "She's also blamed a lack of funding, despite her office holding $14 million in reserve. Furthermore, I've been working this legislative session to secure state funding for the Sheriff's Office for domestic violence programs. If she needed additional resources to ensure security, she could have simply asked." "I would have fought for it. Blaming funding is a deflection – not an excuse," she added. "Leadership matters, and right now, the people of New Orleans deserve better. Sheriff Hutson should resign." NEW BOOKING PHOTOS RELEASED OF RECAPTURED LOUISIANA INMATES AS MANHUNT CONTINUES State Rep. Jason Hughes, who represents a portion of New Orleans, also called for Hutson to resign, according to the Louisiana Radio Network. "How 10 people can escape a jail is perplexing to me. But at the end of the day, this is a public safety issue, and it boils down to leadership," Hughes said. Hutson took "full accountability" for the jailbreak in a statement given to the New Orleans City Council on Tuesday. "It is deeply troubling to me as your sheriff, and I know it is equally troubling to you and the public that we are sworn to protect. As your sheriff, I take full accountability for this failure, and it is my responsibility to make sure it is addressed with urgency and transparency," she told the council. "Since the moment this breach was discovered, we have been clear. Our community deserves answers, and more importantly, it deserves action." According to FOX 8, Hutson announced on Tuesday evening that she's "temporarily" suspending her re-election campaign. FIFTH ESCAPED INMATE FROM NEW ORLEANS JAIL RECAPTURED AFTER DAYS ON THE RUN Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Gary Price, Dkenan Dennis and Corey Boyd have been recaptured by law enforcement, leaving five inmates at large. Boyd, the most recent inmate to be recaptured, was in jail on charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and threatening a public official. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The following inmates are still at large: Lenton J. Vanburen Jr., 26, faces charges of illegal carrying of weapons, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, obstruction of justice, and introducing contraband in prison. Jermaine Donald, 42, faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, and obstruction of justice. Antoine Massey, 32, faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle, and a parole violation. Derrick Groves, 27, faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and battery of a correctional facility employee. Leo O. Tate Sr., 31, faces charges of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, illegal carrying of a weapon, motor vehicle theft, and multiple drug counts. Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Print Close URL
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State, local officials call for audit of Orleans Parish jail financials, security
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The search continues for the Orleans Parish jail escapees who remain on the run. 'The jig is up. Don't think you can hide. They're not going to be on the lam for long,' said Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley. Even with several inmates captured being transported out of New Orleans by the Louisiana State Police, Conley's department has been deployed as part of this joint operation. Homicide investigation underway after man found fatally shot in Hollygrove 'I have extra patrols out on the street just in case they're monitoring all our modern technology. Anything out of the ordinary? They're going to jump on and fully investigate,' said Conley. With law enforcement searching for the escapees, New Orleans Councilwoman Helena Moreno still feels everyone should have been alerted immediately when it was made aware the inmates had escaped. 'Totally unacceptable. It's also incredibly irresponsible because it is a public safety danger to have these individuals now out in the community, and the fact that no one knew about it,' said Moreno. With the escape caught on surveillance cameras, Moreno questioned why no one was monitoring the cameras. 'You would think that this would be, like, a huge. Somehow, the system would flag this like, hey, you know, there's a bunch of people now running out of the building,' said Moreno. Moreno, along with State Representative Jason Hughes, is requesting that the Louisiana legislative auditor do a full financial and security audit of the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. VIDEO: Inmates run from Orleans Justice Center 'The sheriff has refused to come into our Brass system so that we can understand how every dollar is being spent,' said Moreno. Though she appreciates the sheriff doing an investigation, she believes a third-party outside investigation should be done as well. 'Whether that's, you know, the district attorney, the attorney general. Look into what happened, particularly if we're talking about criminal charges within the department, because they helped individuals get out,' said relieved convicted killer sentenced, yet void remains Rookie Robert Shwartzman wins Indy 500 pole State, local officials call for audit of Orleans Parish jail financials, security Louisiana law enforcement officials provide update on Orleans Parish jail escape investigation Search continues for escaped inmates following New Orleans jailbreak Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
