Arsonist Sentenced After Fire Devastates Longford | Dublin News

A restaurateur faces a 10-year prison term after admitting to setting fire to a rival business in Longford, causing €3.5 million in damage and shuttering 19 shops. Guo Zhong Chen, 57, confessed the arson was fueled by revenge and spite, calling it a “stupid and foolish” act to scare a former associate. Despite his troubled past—including child labor and limited education—and his role as a financial provider for his family in China, CCTV footage led to his arrest. The judge acknowledged his lack of malice but condemned the crime’s devastating impact on the community. His sentence, reduced from 14 years, includes 18 months suspended, reflecting both the severity of the act and its lasting economic toll. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3ba8ea19e29704c2