Less serious charges brought against boy accused of threats to neighbours

Charges brought against a 14-year-old boy for alleged threats to damage the home of a woman in his neighbourhood and to attack her partner were withdrawn at the Children’s Court today.

The boy had been charged earlier at the Children’s Court with criminal damage to a woman’s house in his north inner city Dublin neighbourhood, threatening to damage her home and threatening to cause serious harm to her boyfriend on dates in September and October.

However, these were replaced today with two counts of engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, contrary to the Public Order Act, less serious offences.

Earlier the court had heard it was alleged that the boy caused damages costing between €300 and €500 to a side wall of the house and made further threats to damage the property by burning it down.

It had also been alleged that the boy threatened the man that “he would not be walking out of the house he would be brought out on a stretcher”.

In October last year, bail terms had been imposed on the boy including a ban on him having any contact with the woman or her boyfriend and a curfew to be in his home between 10pm and 8am daily.

Judge Aeneus McCarthy heard that the DPP had since directed that the original charges were to be withdrawn.

The boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother and a social worker, was remanded on bail to appear again later this month when he is to enter a plea to the new charges.