‘I’ll do jail time on my back, asleep’

A Dublin youth told a judge he would serve a two-month term for theft “on my back, asleep”, after he was sentenced for his 130th criminal conviction.

Daryll Rooney, aged 18, from Railway St in the city centre, pleaded guilty to stealing €200 worth of clothes at Champion Sports on Grafton St on May 15, 2015.

The case was heard at the Dublin Children’s Court because he was aged 17 and still a minor at the time of the shoplifting incident. However, he turned 18 and reached adulthood by the time the proceedings commenced.

Judge John O’Connor was told the youth and two other males “used a detagger” which helped them take the clothing.

They left without paying and the teen was identified from CCTV.

The court was told that the youth already had 129 convictions which included a 15-month term handed down in February for motoring offences.

Judge O’Connor imposed a two-month term and ordered that it would run consecutively to the sentence the youth was already serving.

“I’ll do that on my back, asleep, judge,” the teenager replied.