Custody for youth accused of 'preying' on tourists

A 16-year-old teenager suspected by gardai of “preying on tourists” was remanded in custody today after he was charged over a violent mugging of a woman, in Dublin city centre.

The woman, a foreign national, was punched to her head, left bruised and in a state of shock, following the robbery early today, Judge Clare Leonard heard at the Dublin Children's Court.

The teen, who has a drug problem was brought before the court charged with robbery of a hand bag containing, a wallet, €150 in cash and a mobile phone from a woman, on Dublin's Gardiner Street.

Garda Kieran Hickey told Judge Clare Leonard that the incident happened at 6.30am this morning

and the teenager had been under surveillance at the time.

He objected to bail saying the teen would re-offend and that his family were unable to control him.

The out of school and jobless boy had been out without his mother's knowledge at the time of the alleged robbery, the judge heard.

Garda Hickey said the boy and an accomplice “grabbed the injured party, a foreign lady, and pulled her to the ground and punched her to the head before taking her hand bag and leaving the scene.”

Garda Hickey said the teen was on bail in relation to other charges and that he “preys on tourists in the city centre.”

The teen's mother, who was initially too upset to speak, then told the judge that her son was expelled from school for “messing” over a year ago.

“I want him to stop, to make me better, I am suffering bad with my nerves over it all, I want him to stop all this carry on,” she said.

Judge Leonard remanded the teenage boy in custody to appear again today when he was due in court on a separate robbery charge, for which the DPP's directions have been sought.

Judge Leonard also requested that a representative of the HSE would attend the case after hearing that the boy and his family had not had assistance from social services previously.