Youth faces trial for holding woman hostage

A teenager accused of holding woman hostage as her partner was brought away at knife-point and forced to get money, has been sent forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified because he is a juvenile, is one of four youths accused of taking part in a house raid, at Botanic Avenue, in north Dublin, on April 27 last.

He appeared at the Dublin Children's Court today where he faces charges of robbery, trespass and false imprisonment of the couple, who are in their 20s.

Garda Shimna Ni Mhairtin of Mountjoy station served a book of evidence on the teenager who is in care.

Judge Clare Leonard then made an order sending him forward for trial at the present term of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The boy is on bail and has been ordered to obey a curfew and have no contact with witnesses in the case or his four co-defendants who face separate court appearances.

Earlier it had been held that the teen's case was too serious to be dealt with in the Children's Court.

Outlining the allegations, Garda Ni Mhairtin had told the court earlier that five north Dublin youths knocked on the door of the house which was opened by the woman's boyfriend.

“When it was answered, they forced the door open and pushed him in and started going through the property,” she had said.

Four of them were armed with either broken glass bottles or knives, but the accused did not have a weapon, the court has heard.

They allegedly searched the house for valuables and “started demanding cash from the occupants”. The man was allegedly forced into his own car at knife-point and some of the raiders “drove him around the area to get cash out of bank machines”.

He was threatened that his girlfriend “would be assaulted if he did not go along with them” and the defendant stayed in the house with her, it was also alleged.

The defence had pleaded for the case to be dealt with in the juvenile court and said the boy had a difficult background, was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time and has been in care since 2005.

However, Judge Leonard held that the teen should stand trial in the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.

The boy has not yet indicated how he will plead to the charges.