16-year-old remanded on bail over halting site shooting

A 16-year-old boy who denies taking part in a shooting at a Traveller halting site in Dublin last September, was remanded on bail today pending his trial at the Children’s Court in June.

The north Dublin teenage boy is charged with discharging a firearm at Porterstown Road, in Blanchardstown, on September 11 last year. He was aged 15 at the time of the alleged incident.

Judge Ann Ryan remanded the boy, who was accompanied to court by his father, on bail pending a hearing of the case in June.

The court has heard that the State may be relying on 16 prosecution witnesses.

In an outline of the allegations given earlier Garda Ciaran Campbell had told the court that at 5.30pm on the day of the alleged shooting, the teenager was the driver of a 99-reg car which pulled up to St Bridget’s halting site.

“From the passenger side a shot was discharged,” he said.

Garda Campbell said he was radioed and detailed to attend the scene and came behind the car from which the shot had been fired.

The boy was arrested after a five-mile pursuit involving “several incidents of dangerous driving.” Another individual was in the car with the teen, he had also said.

The boy also faces related charges for dangerous driving, and driving without a licence or insurance.