No bed for teenage mugger, court hears

There is no room at State detention centres for an out-of-control teenage mugger, the Dublin Children’s Court heard.

Judge Bryan Smyth heard in the case of a 15-year-old boy, who took part in a violent robbery of a delivery man who was attacked and had his car stolen, that at earliest a sentence bed could be available in September in one facility and possibly November in another.

The court was told although the teenager, whose prosecution involved ten gardaí, is being held on remand in Oberstown Boys’ Centre, that detention facility did not have a long term sentence bed available.

“Now, the situation is that there is no committal bed and there will be nothing until September at the earliest in Trinity House; in Oberstown there is nothing until November,” he said.

“I do not know why there are not enough beds out there,” he added. He adjourned the case pending legal arguments on whether the boy, who was accompanied to court by his father, can have his sentence adjourned and be continually held on remand until a sentence bed was available.

The teen, who was facing 16 charges for is in custody on remand over other offences, had pleaded guilty to the robbery of a delivery man, in Dun Laoghaire, on November 4 last.

In an outline of the evidence, Garda Thomas Bowens told Judge Smyth that “a delivery man was robbed when he was delivering pizza. His phone, car keys and bag containing money were taken.”

“He was beaten and knocked to the ground where he was punched and kicked in the stomach,” the Garda said adding that the south Dublin boy left the scene in the victim’s car.

The out of school teen also admitted 15 other charges for burglary, motor theft, criminal damage, shoplifting and public order violations going back three years, when he was aged 12.

Defence solicitor Michelle Finan, said the south Dublin boy’s offending had “snowballed”. “That all relates to the fact that he was not going to school, was drinking and out of his parents’ control,” she said.

The court was also told that his family had difficulties and social services had been involved but the boy had not engaged with them.