Teen who embarked on crime spree is given 10 months

A 17-year-old boy, who lashed out at a garda with a wooden baton during a crimewave, has been given a 10-month sentence, by Judge Ann Ryan at the Dublin Children’s Court.

He pleaded guilty to a spate of trespassing, joyriding, criminal damage and public order offences committed in Dublin over a one-month period.

Two of his motor-theft related offences happened in over a 12-hour period. He had been released from Rathmines Garda station after his arrest at around 7pm on February 8 last for travelling in a stolen car. He was then arrested across the city in Glasnevin, at 7am the following morning for breaking into another car.

His reply to the later charge was “I am only after getting out of Rathmines Garda station”.

Garda Keith Halley told the court that the teen caused €800 worth of damage to a motorcycle at an underground car park, on February 25 last.

Garda Patrick O’Gorman said that, on January 9 last in Ballymun town centre, he caught the teen breaking into a car. “He punched the back passenger window he was bleeding heavily on his right hand.

“I approached to arrest him and he proceeded to strike me with a timber baton he had concealed in his tracksuit,” he added.

On January 12, the teenager was again caught at Coultry Terrace, in Ballymun inside a car tampering with its ignition while in possession of an iron bar.

Garda Damien O’Reilly told Judge Ryan that, on February 6 last, the boy was a passenger in a stolen car which was used to ram in the gates of Oberstown Boys’ Centre, a young offenders’ institution, in north Co. Dublin.

Garda David McCarthy said that, on January 16 last at Coultry Road, the teen had stolen another car which he abandoned just before gardai arrived at the scene. On his arrest, the drunken boy became aggressive, “kicked out and had to be restrained”.

On January 13 last he was arrested for breach of the peace when he was found hiding in a garden at Gateway Place, in Ballymun.

The defendant, who was accompanied to court by his mother and remained silent during his case, had three prior convictions. He was received a two-year sentence commencing from October 2006 for possessing a knife, skipping court and trespassing with intent to commit an offence.

Counsel for the boy said he had completed the Junior Certificate in custody in Oberstown Boys’ Centre. His problems stemmed from alcohol and drug abuse for which he was willing to receive counselling and he needed to occupy his time with a training course.

The court heard that the jobless teen began to go out of control after a relative who had been like a “father figure” died in tragic circumstances.

Judge Ryan imposed a 10-month term in St Patrick’s Institution but suspended the final two months of the sentence, during which he is to be supervised by the Probation Service to address his offending behaviour.