Dozens of families had to be evacuated from an apartment block after a man set fire to a car with a cigarette lighter, causing €45,000 of damage.
Rory O'Hara appeared before Letterkenny Circuit Court in Co Donegal where he pleaded to a single charge of arson.
The court was told that shortly before 11pm on November 29th, 2018, a fire broke out at the Riverfront House on Pearse Road in Letterkenny.
Residents had to be evacuated and there was extensive damage caused to an underground car park.
Gardaí and other emergency services attended the scene and the fire was brought under control.
It transpired that a car had been set on fire, causing damage to parts of the car park.
Gardaí began an investigation, questioning a number of people at the scene.
One of these people was a man who was riding around on a black mountain bike while under the influence of alcohol. From CCTV footage, Gardaí noticed the same man entering the underground car park at 10.46pm and leaving again at 10.52pm, just before smoke started coming from the building.
They identified the man as O'Hara and later arrested him. The accused was then interviewed by Garda Ronan Morris about the blaze.
'Out of his head'
O'Hara declined to view the CCTV footage but admitted he had been depressed and was "out of his head" during the incident.
The accused has a number of previous convictions for burglary and theft and had served a month in prison, the court was told.
The car which was destroyed in the blaze belonged to Josephine Doherty who had parked the vehicle in the underground car park while was having a few drinks at the Station House Hotel.
The owner of the car park, Dermot Gildea of Gildea Developments, put the overall estimate for damage at €44,996 which included damage to the property, lighting and an air conditioning system.
Barrister for the accused, Shane Costello SC, said O'Hara was abusing drugs at the time, including cannabis and spice.
He said it was a "serious but bizarre" crime and that O'Hara had little recollection of it, although he did admit he set the car seat on fire with a lighter.
Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case for final sentencing.
