A 15-year-old boy once described by a Garda Inspector as a “menace” has been detained for five months by Judge Ann Ryan at the Dublin Children’s Court.
The north Dublin teenager had pleaded guilty to 13 offences mostly for a litany of motor theft related offences.
The court heard that on April 5 last in Darndale in Dublin, he stole a car, on March 23 and March 27 vandalised other cars, and attempted to steal one.
These came after he had been given a four-month suspended sentence for motor theft. That sentence was activated today as well as an additional consecutive one-month term for other offences.
The court had also heard that on April 2 last he failed to attend his court case; on November 27, 2007 he was caught travelling as a passenger in a stolen car. On December 20 last he was arrested for driving a stolen car, on September 27 he had been driving a stolen car and six days earlier was caught as a passenger in another stolen car.
His first offence was on August 11 last year for trespassing on property.
Earlier Inspector Patrick Conlon, of Coolock station, had objected to bail saying he believed the boy would continue to re-offend if he was released. “Since October 1 he has been charged on seven occasions for unlawful taking of vehicles.”
“Every night of the week he is out causing disturbances,” he had also said.
And at one point his mother was not willing to take the boy home until he was the subject of behavioural and educational assessments, the court had been told.
The boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother, was detained in Oberstown Boys’ Centre and the court also banned him from driving for one year. He was also ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for three months following his release.