Bail revoked for teen awaiting car theft charges

A youth, who is awaiting sentence for an attempted car theft which led to the death of a man, had his bail revoked today.

Judge William Hamill, who was presiding at the Dublin Children’s Court, remanded the youth in custody to St Patrick’s Institution pending his sentence hearing.

He had been told that the youth had been in breach of a court-imposed curfew and had been arrested lately for driving illegally.

The youth had been observed out of his home during curfew hours on the night after his last appearance in court and was twice stopped for driving without in insurance in November, Judge Hamill heard.

Counsel for the youth, Ms Grainne O’Neill pleaded for bail saying that the teenager had recently started a new job.

His father also asked the court to give his son a “last chance”. However Judge Hamill said the youth had been “given numerous chances before” and remanded him in custody.

Detective Garda Graham Kavanagh had earlier given evidence that on November 26 last year, the youth and another person, had been trying to steal a car from a driveway of a man’s house on Cherry Orchard Avenue, in Ballyfermot.

The youth had got into the car and had been tampering with the steering wheel and its locking mechanism. The owner came out of his home onto his driveway and the person with the youth stabbed him.

This person is currently facing charges in relation to the incident, the court had also heard earlier.

The youth, aged 17, had earlier pleaded guilty at the Children’s Court to unlawfully interfering with the mechanism of the car, under the Road Traffic Act, and also admitted criminally damaging it, at the man’s home, on Cherry Orchard Avenue, on November 26 last year.

After he admitted the charge in May he had been released on bail pending a probation report and to monitor his behaviour while in the community.