Escaped youth still at large, court told

A youth facing a litany of charges remains at large after escaping from a Dublin detention centre last month, a court was told yesterday.

He was one of four teens who absconded from the Oberstown youth detention facility in Lusk on July 25 and the only one to evade capture. The 17-year-old faces 11 charges and has been accused of criminal damage, two counts of motor theft, interfering with a vehicle on two dates, two counts of skipping court, possessing vise grips and a metal bar for use in a theft offence, and trespassing.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred in in north Dublin on dates from February 2 until June 19. He was denied bail in June and remanded in custody. He was due to appear at the Dublin Children’s Court yesterday but Garda David McKenna told Judge James Faughnan he had escaped.

The boy, is accused of failing to turn up to court on two dates, trespassing with intent to commit an offence and interfering with a motor vehicle at the Shanliss Road, Santry, D9, on a date in February; motor theft in Swords in Dublin on June 9, stealing another vehicle in Swords a day later when it is also alleged he had a vise grips as an implement.

Judge Faughnan issued a bench warrant for the boy’s arrest.