Trial of teen in relation to halting-site shooting adjourned

The trial of a 16-year-old boy charged at the Children’s Court over a shooting incident at a Traveller halting site, in Dublin last September has been adjourned.

The teen, who is on bail, admits being the getaway driver in the alleged shooting but denies firing a shotgun blast from the car.

Judge Clare Leonard heard that the defence would be disputing allegations that the teenager had been acting “in concert” with another person, when the shot was fired.

She put the case back for mention next week when a hearing date is to be set.

The north Dublin teenage boy has pleaded not guilty to discharging a firearm at Porterstown Road, in Blanchardstown, on September 11 last year, when he was aged 15.

However, he has pleaded guilty to charges for dangerous driving, and driving without a licence or insurance, in connection with the incident.

Giving evidence, Garda Ciaran Campbell told Judge Leonard that he responded to a report of a shooting which had been observed by an off-duty Garda sergeant who followed a car driven by the teen.

Garda Campbell told Judge Leonard that he came across the teen driving the car which also had a male passenger at the Ongar Distributor Road.

During a five-mile pursuit the teenager repeatedly broke red lights and “drove on the wrong side of the road at high speed”.

Other vehicles including a bus had to either take evasive action or brake heavily to avoid being hit by the teenager.

The boy overtook backed up traffic, at the Castlecurragh Road, in north Dublin, when he lost control and skidded into a kerb. He continued driving into the Warrenstown Estate, in Blanchardstown and abandoned the car at a cul-de-sac.

He and his passenger were arrested following a foot chase.

A single barrel shotgun and cartridges were found in a bag in the foot well at the front passenger side of the car.

After hearing evidence in relation to the boy’s driving, in which no-one was injured, Judge Leonard had said he was “fortunate not to be before the court on much more serious charges and everyone else is fortunate”.