Pregnant teen on 26th conviction

A pregnant teenage girl with 26 previous convictions, who scraped a garda’s face and struggled so much that she had to be restrained and handcuffed, has been released on probation for six months.

The 17-year-old south Dublin girl had been found guilty at the Dublin Children’s Court of engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour under section six of the Public Order Act and being intoxicated to such an extent that she was a danger to herself and others.

The incident happened in south Dublin while she was pregnant and intoxicated, Judge Bryan Smyth was told.

Garda Declan Mac Daid of Bray station had told the court that gardaí had been called to the girl’s locality after her brother had a row with taxi man. The boy was bleeding while the girl shouted abuse at gardaí and members of the public.

“She scraped me on my face and neck and became extremely violent and had to be handcuffed and restrained on the ground.”

He said the pregnant girl was “hysterical and kicking out".

She was too violent to be put into a patrol car and a garda van was sought to bring her to her local station where she admitted that she had drank vodka earlier.

"The only person putting her life and that of her unborn child in danger was herself," another garda witness said.

In evidence the girl denied the allegations saying that she had been trying to help her brother.

Judge Smyth had found the girl guilty and was told that she already had 26 previous convictions. She had been detained for one month last year for 14 offences for breaches of the peace, being drunk and disorderly, violent behaviour in a Garda station, obstruction of a Garda.

In 2005, she had been bound to the peace for 12 other offences which included two assaults.

Her solicitor had told the court that the girl, who is on a training course, had alcohol difficulties.

Judge Smyth had requested a pre-sentence probation report prior to yesterday’s sentence hearing.

He imposed a six-month probation bond compelling the girl to keep the peace and to co-operate with and accept the guidance and advice of the Probation Services.

Earlier he had said: “I think she is going to have to try to do something in relation to her drinking or she is going to end up in the Dochas Centre (Mountjoy Prison Women’s Unit).

“She has to realise that she has responsibility to her unborn child as well,” he had also said adding that if she was involved in further offending she would be detained, “pregnant or otherwise".