Teenage mugger sent to special school

A 15-year-old boy who took part in a violent gang mugging of a French student has been sent to a special residential school where he could stay for up to two years.

The south Dublin 15-year-old and two friends mugged the student, who was forced to reveal his credit card PIN number, the Children’s Court heard.

"They said: We’ll stab you if this is the wrong PIN', at which he gave them the correct number,” garda Paul Murphy, of Pearse Street Station, had said in evidence.

The teen, who has learning problems, had been remanded in custody in February to the Finglas Child and Adolescent Centre after the court heard he would benefit from a psychological and educational assessment.

He had pleaded guilty earlier to the robbery of the French student in Dublin city centre on May 27 last year. The student had been approached by three youths on Lower Exchequer St.

The three, including the defendant, befriended the student and asked him to walk with them but a short time later they robbed his walkman, mobile phone and wallet and brought him to Fishamble St.

The trio then brought the student to an ATM machine on Castle Street but he managed to get a passer-by to help him, at which the youths fled.

The court had heard that the teen defendant, who was supported in court by his parents, had learning difficulties and had the lesser role in the offence. He had volunteered to take up the place in the residential school in Clonmel, in Co Tipperary.

Judge Bryan Smyth yesterday released the teen on bail from the detention centre on condition that he stayed in the residential school as long as recommended and complied with the instructions of its staff and teachers. The case is to be reviewed next month.