Schoolboy remanded after ramming gardaí with stolen car

A 16-year-old schoolboy, who was in a stolen car that rammed gardaí and nearly mowed down pedestrians when it raced around Dublin city centre’s south-side, has been remanded on bail pending sentence.

The south Dublin teenager had pleaded guilty at the Children’s Court to travelling as a passenger in a stolen car on March 4 last.

Garda Tim O’Keeffe of Pearse Street station told the court that a stolen car had been detected driving along Dublin’s Synge Street.

“It went through a set of red lights speeding away from gardaí. It continued to Grand Parade overtaking five stationary cars that were stopped at lights.”

“The car turned onto Leeson Street and went around St Stephen’s Green onto Dawson Street where they drove at speed causing people to jump out of their way.”

At the Dawson Street junction with Nassau Street the stolen car broke another red light “causing more pedestrians to jump clear”.

The car then performed a handbrake turn leaving it facing a Garda car. It did another handbrake turn in the opposite direction and sped away.

The stolen car sped through a red light at Westland Row and continued to Denzille Lane, from which it raced to Holles Row then onto Grant’s Row.

At the junction with Mount Street Lower it went on the wrong side of the road causing more terrified pedestrians to jump out of the way.

They then rammed a Garda car before coming to a stop.

An adult is also facing a separate prosecution for being the driver of the car.

Judge Ann Ryan said it was a “miracle that no one was killed”.

She heard that the teenager had nine previous convictions for handling stolen property, trespassing and motor theft offences.

In July, he had received a three-month suspended sentence by the court.

Judge Ryan remanded the boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother, on bail to appear again next month for sentencing.

She also directed that the suspended sentence would have to be activated on the boy’s next court appearance.