Suicidal boy remanded

A suicidal 14-year-old boy, who tried to kill himself while in garda custody, at the weekend, has been further remanded in custody, by Judge Bryan Smyth the Dublin Children’s Court.

Meanwhile the troubled boy’s case is to be brought to the High Court today where urgent judicial review proceedings are to be initiated to compel the Health Service Executive (HSE) to provide him with appropriate care and accommodation.

On Tuesday, Judge Smyth had said that he was holding the boy, who suffers from depression, in custody, in a detention centre, on welfare grounds but admitted that these were not proper reasons for refusing bail in the Children’s Court.

However he said he was doing so because the accommodation proposals offered to the boy by the HSE “were not suitable".

The teen had then said in court he would kill himself if kept in custody and told the judge “it’ll be on your head".

Yesterday the boy apologised for his comments. His solicitor Catherine Ghent told Judge Smyth that the High Court had ruled that the boy’s detention was unlawful.

However, he was not to be released while further proceedings were being brought to the High Court to secure appropriate proposals from the HSE in relation to his future care and accommodation.

Judge Smyth remanded the boy in custody for a further night pending the High Court action.

The boy, who is in voluntary care, had first been remanded in custody with consent on Monday. This followed his arrest on Saturday for causing criminal damage in the emergency accommodation hostel in which he had resided. Before he was in the hostel, the boy, whose family are presently unable to provide him with accommodation, had “slept in cars and in parks", the Children’s Court was told.

Garda Aileen Kelly had said: “I want to relay to the court that there are serious concerns for the defendant in relation to suicidal behaviour. While he was in garda custody over the past few days he indicated that he had tried to commit suicide by blocking air vents in the cell.”

Ms Ghent told the court that the boy had also tried to commit suicide last Thursday. And on Monday evening after he had been first remanded in custody to the National Remand and Assessment Centre, “he was found in possession of a bag strap, he had to be restrained and it had to be taken off him.”

On Tuesday the HSE informed Judge Smyth that it could offer the boy an interim placement in emergency hostel accommodation while referrals were made to find an appropriate care facility.

It was unknown how long it would take to find a suitable care unit.

Ms Ghent said the hostel accommodation was “unsuitable given his particular history over the last number of months.”

Judge Smyth was told that the boy was objecting to being held in custody further and that the teen did not want to go to the hostel that had been mentioned in court.

Judge Smyth had said the court had been placed in an “invidious position".

“It leaves the court in a difficult situation, there seems to be no suitable placement out there at the moment. I think it is really a matter for the HSE.”

The teen also indicated to his solicitor that he would attempt suicide if was to be kept in custody further. The boy had said to the judge “I will kill myself there; it’ll be on your head.”

Judge Smyth had explained to him that he was holding him in custody for his welfare and in the absence of suitable alternatives. He directed urgent medical attention for the teen with the view of obtaining a psychiatric report.

He had said he would have greater concerns for the boy if he was granted bail.