Teen abandoned baby to escape garda

A teenage girl abandoned her baby at a DART station in an attempt to escape from a garda who wanted to question her for a shoplifting offence, the Dublin Children’s Court heard today.

The 17-year-old mother of one, originally from Romania, had pleaded not guilty to the theft of two bottles of hair dye from a pharmacy at Westland Row, in Dublin City Centre, on May 5 last. She also denied engaging in a breach of the peace at Pearse Street DART station on the same date.

The court heard that gardaí had spotted the girl and three other young women acting suspiciously on Grafton Street. They were followed to the pharmacy where the girl and two of her friends entered the shop where they, according to a witness, took two bottles of hair dye.

Garda Rebecca Devenny told Judge Angela Ni Chonduin that she then followed the group to Pearse Street DART station. The girl then saw the garda and with the other members of the group ran up the escalator to the station’s platform, leaving the pram with her baby in it behind.

Garda Devenny and her colleague Detective Garda Martin Nagle, said that when questioned on the platform over the stolen goods, the girl and her friends exposed themselves by pulling up their skirts and blouses.

They were then taken to Pearse Street Garda station where the stolen goods were found in their possession.

In evidence the girl denied the theft and in relation to the breach of the peace, for exposing herself, she claimed she had done that to show that she had no stolen goods in her possession.

She had also claimed that she was running to the platform to catch a train and had believed one of her group was going to bring her pram for her.

Judge Ni Chonduin found the girl guilty of both charges.

In mitigation the court heard she has been residing in Ireland for four years, was the mother of a small baby and had little schooling.

Judge Ni Chonduin remanded the girl on bail for sentencing pending a probation report on September 6 next.