Youth said he would pay someone to attack alleged victim, court told

A Dublin youth charged with witness intimidation told gardaí he would pay someone to attack his alleged victim, a court was told yesterday.

The boy (aged 17) had been arrested and brought before the Dublin Children's Court on Monday last charged with two counts of threatening, intimidating and putting a teenage boy, who was a witness, in fear, with intent of causing justice to be obstructed, in Crumlin, in Dublin, on March 5 and 6 last.

The teen had been remanded in custody to St Patrick's Institution for a bail hearing at the Children's Court today.

Judge Clare Leonard heard that the threats were allegedly made against a teenage boy whom the defendant is accused of attempted robbery at knife-point.

The defendant is due before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in relation to that incident, Judge Leonard was also told.

In an objection to bail yesterday, garda Ronan Murphy told Judge Leonard that the teenager said to him that “If I do not get out of here today I am going to pay some to have his face banjoed” referring to the attempted robbery victim.

The alleged victim, also teenager, told the court that the accused boy had twice made threats to him. He alleged that the accused said: “The next time I see you I am going to beat the head off you.”

He said that on the second occasion, the following day, the teenager approached him in a park and threatened to stab him.

In evidence the defendant, who was accompanied to his case by his mother, said that he “snapped” due to the pressure of his impending Circuit Court case.

He said he had been getting on with his life, started a training course and had a girlfriend but people began telling he could get a five year sentence over the attempted robbery.

He said that this was the cause of the threat which he also said he did not mean.

Judge Leonard noted that the teen's Circuit Court case was due for mention next week. She deferred the issue of bail until a day after the teen's appearance there.