Published: Wednesday, 11th June, 2008 12:00
Neighbour plotted petrol bomb attack
By Court Reporter
Print Article
Alloa Sheriff Court.
Pic by: David Robertson
AN AGGRIEVED woman coaxed two teenagers into petrol bombing her neighbour’s house in a bid to put the “frighteners” on the family.
Dawn Monaghan (37) supplied glass bottles, rags and petrol for Andrew Hunter (17) and Ryan MacSween (16) to create two petrol bombs.
It followed a dispute between Monaghan, of The Braes, Tullibody, and her neighbour Jackie Campbell.
The impressionable teenagers duly obliged and, believing the house was empty, launched the attack in the early hours of 25 July last year.
While one of the petrol bombs struck the front door of the house setting it alight, the second bounced off the door and landed on the garden intact.
Inside Tony Campbell (16) was in the living room and, on hearing the bottles strike the door, informed his mother who called the fire brigade.
The attack caused £1555 worth of damage to the Ochilview Housing Association property.
On Tuesday, Hunter, of Redlands Road, Tullibody appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court where he was placed on two years probation and ordered to complete 240 hours unpaid work in the community for his part in the willful fireraising. MacSween, of Newmills, Tullibody, was ordered to complete 300 hours of community service.
Sentence on Monaghan, now living in Tay Court, Alloa, was deferred until next month for a psychiatric report.
Prosecuting, Keri Marshall explained that at around 8pm on 24 July last year a small group of teenagers gathered at Monaghan’s house to play computer games.
One of the teenagers, a 14-year-old boy, overheard Monaghan saying to Hunter and MacSween, “Right, we’re going to bomb the Campbell’s house”.
In the kitchen the boy saw a green petrol container and two glass bottles containing rags.
Ms Marshall went on, “A short time later the witness looked out of the window and saw the accused Hunter and MacSween in the street and saw Hunter throw the petrol bomb lit at the house.
“While this incident occurred, Tony Campbell was in the living room and heard a thump at the door, saw and smelt smoke and looked out of the window and saw a burning object in the grass.”
Hunter and MacSween were later traced by police and during interviews admitted their part in the offence.
MacSween told officers he threw the petrol bomb but was “petrified and didn’t want to do it”.
Defending Hunter, solicitor Stephen Maguire said the offence was “down to immaturity”.
He added, “He and his friend established a close relationship with Ms Monaghan. Unfortunately this friendship lead to the unfortunate offence that took place.
“He accepts that whilst the plans were made elsewhere, he followed matters through.
“It was fortunate that the consequences were not more serious.”
MacSween’s solicitor said his client thought Monaghan was joking when she initially brought up the subject of petrol bombing the Campbell’s home, however proceeded with the “foolish enterprise”.
He said, “He assures me he wouldn’t have done that if people were in the house. During the interview with police he said he thought the Campbells were on holiday.”
Solicitor Alastair Burleigh, acting on behalf of Monaghan, said there were a background of problems between his client and the Campbell family.
He said, “Matters simply got to the stage where she decided she was going to try and put the frighteners on the situation. She foolishly became involved with two people who were obviously impressionable.
“She accepts there was pre-meditation here and she became convinced in her own mind that at the time she wanted this to be done when the property was not occupied.”
Sheriff David Mackie imposed community service on the teenagers as a direct alternative to custody.
He told them, “Petrol bombing the house could have dealt unknown damage to the property and the people in the house could have been injured, seriously injured or even killed.
“However, I take into account your young age, your relative immaturity, the complete absence of a record and your impressionability at the time of this offending.
“You were not thinking for yourself but were instead following the orders of an older person.”
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Further Details
Tullibody mum is jailed for petrol bomb plot