Teenage girl recovering from heroin addiction is remanded on bail

A teenage girl who is recovering from heroin addiction said today that her situation was not helped when she was residing in emergency hostel accommodation in Dublin.

The 17-year-old girl is facing a number of charges mostly for thefts and had been remanded in custody on Monday last following her arrest for burglary at which time it emerged that a bench warrant had been issued for her arrest for not attending a previous court appearance.

She sniffled and wept in the Children’s Court as she told Judge Ann Ryan that she had missed her previous court appearance because she had been at a methadone maintenance programme which she has to attend daily to receive a specific dosage.

The court heard that the south inner city Dublin girl’s mother, who was present for the case, was willing to take her daughter home if released on bail.

However, Judge Ryan also was informed that the girl had spent time residing in emergency hostel accommodation in central Dublin.

“I’m trying my very best was staying with my Ma. I’m not on drugs really anymore, trying to stay off them,” the teen, who was in tears, said.

She said that at one point she had also been residing the hostel accommodation which she described as a “drugs place” and added that “it was not helping me”.

She then returned to live with her mother whom she said was giving her great support. “She is the one who gets me up every morning and helps me,” she said.

Defence solicitor Sarah Molloy said “part of the difficulty is that she has been using crisis intervention services for accommodation which has not assisted her drug problem”.

Judge Ryan agreed to grant bail and release the girl from custody under strict conditions which included a curfew between 9pm and 8am at her mother’s home, where she is obligated to reside.

She said the girl’s mother needed a lot of assistance to support her troubled daughter whose charges have accumulated since 2007.

Judge Ryan said that progress needed to be made in the prosecution with evidence on some charges yet to be heard and in others directions from the DPP have to be obtained as well as an updated probation report.

Remanding the girl to appear again next week she told her that if she breached the terms of her bail bond she would be sent back into custody. “It is up to you to prove yourself, the matter is in your hands, make sure you are back here,” the judge cautioned the girl as she released her on bail.