A man who set fire to his landlady’s porch after being locked out while
dressed in a onesie following a day-long drunken row with his boyfriend,
has been jailed.
Enda Bohan, 35, who is originally from Galway, Ireland, but now lives in
Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, knocked back 18 cans of
lager before rowing with his partner and then his landlady for several
hours about the rent.
When he was locked out by fed-up Amy Davies after going to a shop to buy
a bottle of whiskey to continue his binge, he threatened to burn down
her house in a foul-mouthed tirade that lasted half an hour.
In his anger he tried to throw a child's scooter through Miss Davies's
front window, but was so drunk that he missed and ended up launching it
at a neighbor's car.
Bohan then carried out his threat of starting the fire, setting light to
a pile of clothing that had been left outside to be collected by
recyclers.
Miss Davies became aware of the fire after hearing the terrified screams
of her two children, aged seven and nine years.
A court heard that Miss Davies had phoned the police several times as
the argument between Bohan and his boyfriend raged throughout the day,
but they did not come to her home until he made the threats to burn down
the house.
Bohan was jailed after he admitted a charge of arson following the
incident, which came after nearly 24 hours of drinking and arguing.
The court heard that at around 8.15pm on November 6 Miss Davies had come
home to find Bohan passed out through alcohol consumption. He awoke
around two hours later and came downstairs, telling Miss Davies he had
drunk 18 cans of Foster's lager.
Nigel Ogborne, prosecuting, told the court: "Between 4 and 9am the
following morning there was a considerable noise coming from the
bedroom. It was an argument between this defendant and his partner.
Miss Davies told the defendant to leave the property; he refused. She
phoned the police on a number of occasions to get some help. The police
did not attend."
Mr Ogborne said Bohan continued to drink and argue with his boyfriend
throughout the day, finally leaving the property
dressed in a onesie at some point between 4 and 5pm to buy a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey.
"It's at that stage the complainant took the opportunity to lock the
front door, so that no-one could come back in," said Mr Ogborne.
"Having locked the door, the defendant returned a short time after. He
tried to get in but couldn't. He started banging on the door, shouting
and swearing.
Miss Davies said she was recording him on her phone and for a while he
started knocking gently. His behavior then escalated and he started
shouting and swearing, saying 'are you crying to your mummy, you little
bitch?'
He said 'I'm going to burn down your house. Wait till tonight, you're
not going to know what hit you'.
The banging and swearing continued, lasting for about half an hour. At
some point he disappeared."
While Miss Davies phoned the police Bohan picked up a child's scooter
from the front garden and tried to throw it through one of the windows.
Mr Ogborne said: "He was so drunk it didn't in fact hit the window, it
hit the next door neighbor's car."
Police arrived at the house in Kennet Drive, Bletchley, after Bohan had
gone. He returned once the officers had left and Miss Davies had gone
upstairs to get changed.
Mr Ogborne told the court: "Whilst upstairs she heard her children start
screaming.
"She came downstairs and saw smoke and flames behind the door.
She
grabbed her children and ran out the back door. It was sticking and she
ended up having to kick the back door before it opened."
Firefighters dashed to the scene and found the fire had been started by
Bohan setting light to a pile of old clothing, which Miss Davies had
left outside to be collected for recycling.
Bohan told police officers he remembered little about the events but
said he had argued with his partner and Miss Davies about rent.
Sophie O'Sullivan, defending Bohan, said: "He has notably struggled with
alcoholism over a number of years. He has also been diagnosed with an
emotional unstable personality disorder. The exhibiting behaviours from
that condition are impulsive behavioral outbursts or explosive
behaviors, which leant themselves to exactly the circumstances which
took place on that day."
Bohan pleaded guilty to arson and was jailed for two years and ten
months at Aylesbury Crown Court.
He was also made the subject of a restraining order against Miss Davies,
which will last until further notice and told to pay a £120 victim
surcharge.
Judge Sheridan told Bohan that the restraining order was necessary:
"Should you choose to wreak revenge, she will suffer further violence at
your hands."
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