Leanne Kelly, 34, sentenced to six years for arson on a Dublin bus during 2023 riots, causing nearly €478,000 in damage.

Leanne Kelly, 34, was sentenced to six years in prison for setting fire to a Dublin bus during the 2023 riots on November 23, causing nearly €478,000 in damage. Identified by CCTV from 17,000 hours of footage, she used flames from a burning garda car to ignite a cardboard bundle she threw onto the empty bus, which was destroyed. Kelly, homeless and battling drug addiction with 66 prior convictions, pleaded guilty to criminal damage but showed no remorse in court, shouting at the judge and refusing a urine test. Though not involved in earlier violence against the bus driver, her actions contributed to a total of eight vehicles damaged and €1.9 million in losses. Dublin Bus reported lasting emotional impact on its 4,000 employees, including 3,100 drivers from 85 countries. The judge condemned her behavior as reckless and gratuitous, noting her role in mob violence despite her defense citing a troubled past and a handwritten apology.