A Dublin man who threw two petrol bombs at his neighbour’s home while suffering from delusions has received a three year suspended sentence.

Andrew Brett (38) of Kilworth Road, Drimnagh pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to damaging a property by fire on January 1, 2013. He has no previous convictions.

Garda Mícheál Muldoon told Melanie Greally BL, prosecuting that Brett was spotted walking into the driveway of Audrey Maher’s home before a sudden flash of fire was seen at the front of the house.

Neither Ms Maher nor her daughter were at home on the night and the damage was limited to scorch marks on the windowsill of a front window.

Two neighbours chased after Brett and flagged down gardaí leading to his arrest. There was a strong smell of accelerants off him and he was out of breath.

Gda Muldoon agreed that he was immediately concerned for Brett’s mental health and a doctor was called to the station. He was later involuntarily admitted to the psychiatric ward of St James’s Hospital.

A technical examination of the scene the following day led to the discovery of the remnants of two petrol bombs, one which had successfully ignited. The devices were made of fruit juice bottles filled with white spirits.

Niall Nolan BL defending said that a medical report concluded that Brett was under delusions associated with the house at the time, referring to it as a glass house.

Counsel agreed with Judge Mary Ellen Ring that the attack had nothing to do with Ms Maher or her family rather it was “directed against the building”.

Judge Ring said the court doesn’t need a professional report to appreciate the fear Ms Maher and her daughter would have been under having discovered what had happened.

The family have since moved from the house and are still waiting to be re-housed by the local authority.

The judge recommended that priority should be given to people such as Ms Maher and her teenage daughter, who have been the victims of an unprovoked attack on their home, by the local authority.

She noted that a medical report for Brett concluded that he is at a low risk of re-offending should he continue to comply with his current regime of attending for day treatment, taking appropriate medication and staying away from alcohol.

Judge Ring sentenced Brett to three years in prison suspended in full on strict conditions including that he liaise with the Probation Service for two years.

Gda Muldoon agreed with Mr Nolan that there is a marked difference in how Brett presents himself now in comparison to how he appeared at the time of his arrest.

“He was very incoherent at the time of the offence. He is now far more coherent and much better state of mind,” Gda Muldoon said.

He accepted that Brett spent eight months in St James’s and continues to link in with a day programme there. He has returned home and has not come to garda attention since.

Mr Nolan said his client was “extremely unwell” on the day in question.

He handed a psychiatric report into court which concluded that Brett now has an improved insight into his behaviour, has no active symptoms of mental ill health and is compliant with treatment.

He had been diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia but he is taking medication and doesn’t use alcohol.

Mr Nolan said that “nobody could underplay the fear a family” would suffer if a petrol bomb was thrown at their home before he confirmed that the arson attack had nothing to do with the occupants of the house.