Youth remanded on bail after attacking man who refused to give him a lift

A you, who is battling an alcohol addiction problem, has been remanded on bail pending sentence after he pleaded guilty to punching a man that had refused to give him a lift in his car.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty at the Children’s Court to the assault and breach of the peace, at Bird Avenue, in Clonskeagh, in south Dublin, on January 22 last.

Judge Ann Ryan was told a fight, that did not involve the youth, had broken out at a bus stop. On learning that gardaí were coming, the drunk boy, who has 11 prior convictions, had wanted to leave the area.

Garda Brian Duff said in evidence that the victim “refused to give him a lift from the scene where the fight had taken place”.

When his request was refused the youth became aggressive and the victim was “hit three times to the face”.

“When gardaí arrived he was very abusive and told them to f*** off.” It took three gardaí to restrain him, Judge Ryan heard.

Garda Duff added that the victim did not suffer any injury and agreed with defence solicitor Eileen McCabe that the youth had not been involved in the earlier fight.

The teenager had been bound to the peace last year for motor theft, and related offences for having no insurance, dangerous driving and drink driving.

In mitigation, Ms McCabe, defending, said her client, who was accompanied to court by his father, had a “serious drink problem”. He had little contact with his mother and had left school after completing the Junior Certificate.

Since then he has been attending a course through FAS and attending “one to one counselling” for his alcohol problem.

She said that alcohol had been at the root of his problems. During the incident he had been intoxicated and though he had not been involved in the earlier fight he wanted to “get away”.

“As in all his other offences he was very much under the influence of alcohol which accounts for his ridiculous behaviour, for wanting to get into total stranger’s car and hitting him,” she said.

Ms McCabe said the teenager needed to get his alcohol addiction under control and was hoping to be placed in a residential treatment centre, which is outside of Dublin, and deals with young people with social problems.

Quietly, the boy explained to the judge that he had cut down on his alcohol consumption which he has confined to weekends. “I am trying to keep it as low as I can,” he said.

He told her that he was receiving an education through FAS but presently would be unable to work on his course’s FETAC module due to having to attend his alcohol addiction counselling.

Judge Ryan said it was obvious the youth needed help for his drink problem “for some time” at which he nodded slowly and agreed in a deep, low voice saying: “Yes, yes, yes.”

She agreed to adjourn sentencing to allow time for a probation report to be obtained and remanded him on bail to appear again next month. She said that on that occasion she wanted to learn how he was progressing in his FÁS course and with his counselling.