Teen with 53 convictions to serve additional one-month term

A 16-year-old boy, who now has 53 convictions on his criminal record and is already serving a detention term, has received an added one-month sentence in St Patrick’s Institution.

The teenager, who is from north Dublin, had been detained on November 29 last with a release date in May next year.

However, Judge Mary Collins heard at the Dublin Children’s Court that in the weeks prior to getting detained, the teenager had committed a number of offences.

On November 1, he was caught in a Ballymun residential area drunk and disorderly and when cautioned under the Public Order Act to leave the area, he failed to comply with the direction.

On November 5, he was found in the driveway of a private residence in suspicious circumstances and when searched he was found in possession of a screwdriver over which he was charged with having an implement for use during the course of a theft.

On November 6, he was arrested in Ballymun for travelling in a stolen car.

The teenager, who had been out of school since he was aged 13, had admitted the offences which took place within the weeks prior to his being sentenced in relation to earlier offences.

Garda Michael Finnegan, prosecuting, then read out a summary of the teenager’s convictions, which led to him getting detained for 15 months last November.

The garda listed off his previous offences which included car theft, trespassing, assault, theft, escape from custody, failing to appear in court as well as Public Order charges for being drunk and disorderly and committing breaches of the peace.

Defence solicitor Ciara McCann said that since going into custody the teenager has progressed well and is going to school and hopes to study for the Junior Certificate.

Ms McCann said that although the boy’s parents were not at the hearing they do visit him regularly in St Patrick’s Institution.

“The reality is that these offences were committed as he was about to be sentenced on other matters. I am going to impose a consecutive sentence.”

She imposed two concurrent one-month terms for the possession of the screwdriver and car crime offence, which she ordered must run consecutively to his existing term, giving him an extra four weeks in custody.

The public order charges were taken into consideration.