Warrant issued for arrest of teenage rap star of TV show

A judge yesterday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of one of the stars of RTÉ’s Bressie’s Teenage Kicks.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan issued the bench warrant for the arrest of Calvin McNamara of Delmege Park, Moyross, Limerick, after he failed to show up in court.

In court last December, McNamara pleaded guilty to stealing a satnav and other items from two cars in Ennis in 2013.

Last December, Judge Durcan told McNamara that he faced jail if he did not have compensation for his thefts in court by yesterday.

“You will have to start saving,” said Judge Durcan.

The judge then told McNamara’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey: “All of the compensation must be paid in this case, otherwise your client faces a prison sentence.”

Outlining the facts in the case, Insp Tom Kennedy said that two cars were broken into on October 27, 2013, on Ennis’s Limerick Rd, with cash and cigarettes worth €125 taken from a car owned by resident Albert O’Brien and a satnav worth €150 and a CD player worth €100 taken from a car owned by Vincent Sheedy.

Insp Kennedy said the car damage amounted to €125.

McNamara shot to prominence last year when former chief executive of Limerick City of Culture Patricia Ryan objected to lyrics he and Nathan Keane, as members of the Moyross Youth Crew rap group, wrote in a song celebrating Limerick referring to “the city’s looking rough”.

Last year, McNamara and four others beat 90 other auditionees to form rap group Urban Dreamers under singer Bressie’s mentorship.

The finale of Bressie’s Teenage Kicks aired in December on RTÉ, with Urban Dreamers’ first EP released subsequently.

At the district court hearing in December, where Ms Godfrey described her client as “a remarkable young man”, Judge Durcan adjourned the case to yesterday for the preparation of a probation report and for the compensation to be paid.

In the intervening period, McNamara co-operated with the Probation Service and Judge Durcan said yesterday that a detailed and excellent probation report has been filed to court.

However, Judge Durcan said McNamara was “making a joke of this court” by not showing up to court.

Ms Godfrey pleaded with Judge Durcan not to issue a bench warrant.

Judge Durcan said: “If I accede to that request, it is letting the whole system fall down.” Ms Godfrey replied: “The system has let Mr McNamara down — always — he is only 18.”

Insp Kennedy applied for a bench warrant in view of the non-attendance of McNamara and in response, Judge Durcan said that he would issue the warrant.