Custody for girl after 'appalling' behaviour in care home

A 15-year-old girl was remanded in custody today after she caused mayhem at a HSE high support children's care unit and attacked staff when told she could not be alone in a room with a boy.

The girl, who has been in care since she was a baby, appeared at the Children's Court where she was facing sentencing for assaulting a 26-year-old Australian woman, on Dublin's Moore Street, on October 27 last. Three other assault charges, at stages where pleas have yet to be entered, were also before the court.

Garda Sergeant Seamus Treacy told Judge Eamon O'Brien that there was an application for the teen's bail to be revoked.

A staff member from her care unit, which is in Co. Limerick, said that on May 31 last, the girl assaulted her and three colleagues while under the influence of valium tablets which she bought on the streets in Dublin on the previous night.

It happened after a care worker told her that she and a boy also residing at the unit would have to be supervised if they wanted to be in a room together. Beforehand, they had been seen holding hands and and hugging in a corridor there “and tried to go into each other's bedroom”.

She smashed a cup and started swinging pieces of it at a care worker threatening “she would slash her up if she did not leave the corridor.” She hit a care worker on her teeth with a piece of cable, poured a cup of tea over another and banged her hand against a wall, Judge O'Brien was told.

Defence solicitor Cillian Bredin said the teen had been in care since she was a one-year-old. He said the girl had been going through a difficult time and started psychiatric counselling for her anger issues.

Mr Bredin also submitted that his client, who has had previous placements in secure care and a foster home, had one remaining Junior Certificate exam. “This is a girl who has had difficulties throughout her life,” he said.

Judge O'Brien described her behaviour as “appalling” and noting that she would be able to do her final exam in custody, he remanded her to Oberstown Girls' Centre for one week.

Earlier, when she pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman last October, the court had been told she had been “roaming the streets” and using hostel accommodation.

“The accused was behind her with another person. The injured party walked to Moore Street, the accused pushed her and knocked her to the ground, while the other person took her bag,” Garda Seamus Donaghue had said.

“During the assault the accused held the injured party on the ground on her back,” he had also said.