Garda operation launched as Dublin gang target iPhone owners

A Garda operation has been set up to clamp down on muggers who target iPhone owners in Dublin city centre, a court heard today.

A 16-year-old boy appeared at the Children's Court charged with robbing a man of his iPhone in Summerhill in north inner city Dublin on Thursday night last. He made no reply to the charge after he was cautioned.

Prosecuting Garda Jamie Jordan told Judge Timothy Lucey that “we have an operation set up; there is a particular problem with people on iPhones being targeted and being robbed on a daily basis.”

She told the court that the teenager had been kept under surveillance on Thursday and followed by three gardaí to North Cumberland Street.

“He was observed as somewhat a predator beside a woman. He looked at her phone and backed away, she did not have a great phone,” she said.

Garda Jordan told Judge Lucey it was alleged that the boy later “targeted a male who was grabbed into the steps at Summerhill where his phone was robbed.”

The court heard that he already had bail conditions in relation to separate charges which banned him from going to Dublin 1 after 6pm. The judge also heard that the alleged mugging took place in that area at about 9pm.

Defence solicitor Adrian Lennon said the boy's father, who was present for the case, believed he could control the teenager if bail were granted.

He also asked the court to note that for several weeks the boy had abided by bail terms which resulted in some of them being relaxed earlier this month.

Judge Lucey granted bail to the boy with conditions including a curfew from 9pm to 8am.

The teenager was also banned from associating with eight youths named in court but whom the teenager claimed he did not know. However, the garda said that the boy had been seen in the company of some of them on the day of the alleged robbery.

The boy was remanded on bail to appear again in May to allow time for directions from the DPP to be obtained.