Boys bailed in gun and petrol-bomb case

Two teenage boys arrested over a gun and petrol bomb attack on a home in Dublin at Easter have been remanded on continuing bail by the Children’s Court pending directions from the DPP.

Judge Clare Leonard agreed to grant the prosecution further time to prepare its case and remanded the pair on continuing bail to appear again in September.

However, she marked the case “peremptory against the State” meaning it will be struck out if the DPP’s directions were not available on the next date.

The boys, aged 17 and 15, were earlier charged with possessing a petrol bomb with intent to cause damage to property on March 24, Easter Monday last, at Sheephill Green, in Blanchardstown in Dublin.

Judge Leonard noted that directions had still not been received from the DPP on whether the case is to be kept in the Children’s Court or be sent to the Circuit Court, which can impose lengthier sentences on conviction.

“This is an incident in March it is going back a long while,” said the judge.

The 15-year-old defendant had been excused from the remand hearing while his co-accused was present for the case with his mother.

A Garda told Judge Leonard that the file had been sent to the DPP. “It is a substantial file with over 150 statements.”

A third boy, aged 15, has also been charged under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act for reckless discharge of a firearm, Easter Sunday, March 23 last, at Sheephill Green, in Blanchardstown in Dublin. Earlier this week he had been remanded on continuing bail to appear again in September.

In May that boy had been held in custody for behavioural, educational and psychological assessments to be carried out. His solicitor Michelle Finan had said he has since been granted bail and “we are going to pursue our own psychological assessment.”

She had also said the boy had been “seeing a therapist and had been going through some difficulties.”

The trio had been ordered to obey a curfew to be in their homes between 9pm and 7am, to sign on three times a week at their local Garda station, to remain out of the Dublin 15 area and not to have any contact with any witnesses in the case.