15 gardaí and helicopter needed to end teen's crime spree

A teenager who ran amok and attacked several gardaí with carving knives before he turned a blade on himself has been detained for 17 months.

The 16-year-old boy’s arrest involved 15 gardaí, one in riot gear, the Garda helicopter and armed detectives.

During the incident, he repeatedly tried to stab four gardaí with an assortment of carving, steak and butcher’s knives, ran from house to house, across rooftops, threatened civilians and tried to hijack a car until ultimately he tried to slash his own wrist while making one last knife-wielding charge at a garda.

Following the incidents, a number of the gardaí involved in the incident have said that they were totally in fear for their lives while dealing with the dangerously out of control teenager, the Dublin Children’s Court heard.

Prosecuting Garda Donal Daly, of Ronanstown Station, told Judge Mary Collins how the boy had repeatedly threatened to "knife" gardaí, who were left in serious peril during their efforts to capture him.

In evidence he told the court how he had come across the boy at Ballyowen Lane, in the Liffey Valley Park area of west Dublin, on May 9 last.

The boy had been in breach of bail conditions by being outdoors during court-imposed curfew hours.

When spotted the boy was drinking a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and had been in an area from which the court had also barred him.

On seeing the garda, the boy ran and entered the grounds of a house on Liffey Road. He then ran into the back garden of a neighbouring house on Liffey Terrace.

In the garden he found a rake and threatened to hit the garda with it before he picked up a shovel and smashed in the back door and window of the house while making threats to kill gardaí.

He then entered this house - which was occupied at the time - and tried to escape through its front door, but his path was blocked by other gardaí waiting outside.

Then he retreated into the kitchen of the house, where he stole 12 knives.

These included six steak and carving knives as well as a butcher’s knife, which minutes later he would use as weapons against the gardaí who were trying to arrest him.

The boy then ran out of the house and threw one of the knives at a garda while saying: "I’ll kill you, I’ll put a knife in you."

He then re-entered the house and ran out to the back garden. There he was approached by another garda who had a 13-inch butcher’s knife thrown at him, hitting the garda on his arm.

This time he again repeated his threats: "I will kill you, you f***ing bastard."

He threw a 13-inch carving knife at Garda Daly, which narrowly missed him. He then shouted at two other gardaí, reiterating his threats: "I will f***ing kill, I’ll put a knife in you."

At this point the gardaí had to take cover from the boy’s blade throwing and were in fear that they could be killed or seriously harmed, the court was told.

The boy then climbed onto the gable end of a house on Liffey Place, at which stage he was surrounded by up to 15 gardaí.

As one officer was trying to clear civilians from the immediate area to protect them from harm, he had another knife thrown at him which hit him on the arm.

Gardaí then tried to talk the boy down off the roof, however, he refused and tried to break into the house on which he was standing.

Unable to gain entry to this house, he jumped off the gable end and landed on a garden side wall.

There he was approached by more gardaí who were all threatened that they would be stabbed.

He then ran along the rear walls of a number of houses in Liffey Place and tried to climb onto the roof of one of the properties while threatening to harm one of the residents.

Once again gardaí had him surrounded. He then charged at one officer with the knife. The court was told that this officer was in riot gear, which "probably saved him from being stabbed".

He then ran at another garda and tried to escape along Liffey Drive where he unsuccessfully attempted to hijack a car.

When he was then surrounded by the gardaí he issued more threats to stab them, adding that he would also kill himself.

Armed detectives were called to the scene.

The court was then told that as the chase came to an end the boy tried to slash his wrists and make one last charge at a garda with a knife.

"He cut his own left forearm and ran at a garda with a knife," Garda Daly said.

At this point he was captured and taken to hospital where his injuries could be treated.

The following day, when he was brought to court the boy continued to make threats saying Ronanstown Garda Station would "burn".

"I took these threats seriously as I feel he would be capable of doing so," Garda Daly also told Judge Collins.

Earlier, on April 28, the boy had been given a sentence in St Patrick’s Institution. As he was being escorted to the detention centre he told Garda Daly: "I will have to get out some time and when I do I will get you."

He was released on appeal bail days after and shortly before the events of May 9 when he attacked and tried to stab the gardaí in Lucan.

Earlier, on April 1, he had also warned another garda: "I will catch you on your own one day, that is not a threat, it’s a promise."

Concluding his evidence, Garda Daly said: "The incident on May 9 had 15 garda at the scene, as well as the Garda helicopter and armed detectives. This was also while the defendant was on bail on a curfew."

"It was very dangerous for all concerned and a number of colleagues have said to me that they were totally in fear as he was out of control."

The boy, had pleaded guilty to 15 charges arising out of the incident on May 9 last, including aggravated burglary, trespassing while in possession of weapons, criminal damage, assault of two gardaí.

He also pleaded guilty to charges of threatening to kill four gardaí and intending them to believe that he would kill or cause them serious harm as well as another charge for threatening to burn down Ronanstown Garda Station.

This brought his record of convictions to 44. On April 28, he was given a 20-month sentence for burglary, car theft and skipping court.

On February 18 and February 3, he had been given one month sentences in the Trinity House Detention Centre for car thefts.

In January this year, he was detained for two years in Trinity House, for a theft and criminal damage offences.

In mitigation the court heard that the boy had spent most of his life in care homes and detention units since he was three years-old, following his parents’ separation.

He had left school before completing his Junior Certificate and developed a cocaine addiction problem.

Prior to his being remanded in custody he had lived with his aunt, Judge Collins was told.

He had no family members in court to support him and he remained silent and handcuffed during the hearing.

Judge Collins proceeded to sentence and imposed a term of detention totalling 17 months, which she backdated to May 10 when he was first remanded in custody on the charges.