Woman who smashed window at house and was present when man threw petrol bomb at property is jailed 

A petrol-bomb was lit by a man who threw it at a house in Cloyne and now the young woman with him who smashed a window while the arson was happening was jailed for one year.

18-year-old Martyna Mocna was sentenced by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to two years in prison with half of this suspended.

Martyna Mocna of The Crescent, Cloyne, County Cork, spoke up after her sentencing and said she had addiction difficulties and just wanted to address these.

Detective Garda Kieran Crowley said the defendant had not behaved well in terms of compliance with her bail conditions while awaiting sentence and had come to the adverse attention of gardaí again recently.

Det. Garda Crowley said the defendant was involved in causing criminal damage by arson.

She was present with a man who prepared and threw the bomb while she smashed a window at the house and then ran away and hid nearby with the man who threw the petrol-bomb, looking to see if the fire would take.

Fortunately, a passer-by coming from a nearby chip-shop put it out.

The accused and her accomplice had a grievance against someone living in the house, the detective explained.

Det. Garda Crowley said of Martyna Mocna, “She was smiling during interview and did not show remorse.” 

The 24-year-old man who was more involved in the crime was previously jailed for three years for his part in the attack on the property.

Defence barrister Jeff Hitchmough stressed that it was the teenager’s older male accomplice who prepared and threw the petrol-bomb and that thankfully the woman and her children who live in the damaged house were not at home at the time. 

Mr Hitchmough BL also said Mocna had difficulties with drink and drugs.