Gardaí to arrest no-show parents of teen thief

Gardaí have been given more time to track down and arrest the parents of a teenage thief who have repeatedly failed to attend their son’s hearings in the Dublin Children’s Court.

The 17-year-old boy, who is originally from Romania, had pleaded guilty earlier to the theft of a man’s wallet, in Dublin’s Temple Bar, last July. The teen had earlier been remanded on bail to allow time for a pre-sentence probation report on him to be furnished to the court.

Last week prosecuting Garda Paul Burke, of Pearse Street station, had told Judge Ann Ryan that the boy had been arrested three further times for thefts.

Judge Ryan had also noted that the boy had not co-operated with the Probation Service. She said that the boy’s attitude had been “completely unacceptable.”

Defence solicitor Michelle Finan said that the boy’s parents could not be present for the case then as they had to accompany an ill child to hospital.

She had said she impressed on the teen the importance of working with his probation officer and added that the boy was hoping to secure a place on a training and educational course.

Judge Ryan adjourned the case for a week, until today, saying she was also issuing a bench warrant for the arrest of teen’s parents to have them brought before the court.

In relation to the claim that they were at hospital with another child she had said: “I don’t believe it, it is as simple as that.”

She had also said the boy’s parents had used that excuse before.

“They are giving the court the run-around they certainly could have had a medical note produced to say where they were. They have total disregard for the court,” she had said as she issued the bench warrant.

Neither the boy nor his parents were present when the case was called.

The court heard that gardai had been trying to locate the parents and execute the bench warrant issued by Judge Ryan last week. Arrangements had been made for the parents to make contact but they had not done so.

Judge Ryan put the case back for a week to allow gardaí further time to locate the parents. She also issued a bench warrant for their son’s arrest.

Parents of juvenile defendant’s are obliged to attend their children’s cases in the criminal courts. Section 91 of the 2001 Children Act says: “Where the parents or guardian fail or neglect, without reasonable excuse, to attend any proceedings to which applies, the court may adjourn the proceedings and issue a warrant for the arrest of the parents or guardian, and the warrant shall command the person to whom it is addressed to produce the parents or guardian before the court at the time appointed for resuming the proceedings.

Failure by the parents or guardian, without reasonable excuse, to attend any such proceedings shall, subject to be treated for all purposes as if it were a contempt in the face of the court.”