Teen faces Circuit Court in relation to alleged garda-car ramming

A teenager has been sent forward for trial in the Circuit Court for an alleged motoring offence in which he is accused of ramming a garda car following a high-speed car chase.

The 16-year-old, north inner city Dublin boy, was served with a book of evidence in the case yesterday and trial on indictment in the Circuit Court ordered. A judge had earlier refused jurisdiction to hear the case in the Children’s Court after hearing a summary of the evidence.

Previously the Children’s Court heard that during the chase it is alleged the boy drove a stolen Ford Fiesta car at speed, sometimes on the wrong side of the road and on footpaths, before it rammed the Garda vehicle.

The teenager is facing three charges for unlawfully driving the car at Susanville Road, D3, criminal damage of the garda vehicle at the same location and dangerous driving on Amien Street, on April 8 last.

It was also alleged that during the 15-minute chase the stolen car had been driving on the wrong side of the road facing on-coming traffic and also on footpaths, the court heard.

Detective Garda Kevin Strattford had also said in a summary of the case, that is alleged the boy rammed the garda car with the stolen car and stopped after he had crashed into a traffic island. Both cars were badly damaged in the collision, the court had heard.

After being served with the book of evidence yesterday, he was granted bail until his trial at the next sittings of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.