15-year-old remanded in custody on robbery charge

A 15-year-old boy, who took part in a violent gang mugging of a French student, has been remanded in custody.

He had pleaded guilty earlier at the Dublin Children’s Court to the robbery of the French student in Dublin city centre on May 27, 2005.

The south Dublin boy and two friends mugged the student who was threatened with being stabbed and forced to reveal his credit card PIN number.

The court had heard that the teen defendant had learning difficulties and had the lesser role in the offence.

He had been ordered to take up the place in a special residential school outside of Dublin in June l2006 he was allowed bail on condition that he remained in the school and abided by its rules but after Christmas refused to return there.

He told the court yesterday (TUE) he did not like its rules: “being told to clean up and to go to bed early.”

Judge Catherine Murphy revoked bail and remanded him in custody to Oberstown Boys’ Centre for a week.

During the mugging three boys, including the defendant, befriended the student and asked him to walk with them.

Shortly after they robbed his walkman, mobile phone and wallet and brought him to Fishamble St.

The student was told to reveal his credit card PIN number and at first he gave them false details.

He was then threatened that: “we’ll stab you if this is the wrong PIN” at which he gave them the correct number.

The trio then brought the student to an ATM machine on Castle Street.

However, the victim then managed to get a passer-by to help him at which the youths fled.