‘Out of control’ teen thief sentenced for theft spree including runners, phones and charity boxes

By Tom Tuite

A “cunning” 17-year-old boy, who stole thousands of euro worth of phones and charitable donations during a theft spree, has been given a 12-month sentence.

The serial thief, who cannot be named because he is a minor, had been refused bail in August because he was “out on control”.

His mother would not take him home and he had spent the next two months in custody on remand pending sentence.

The Dublin Children’s Court also heard he skipped court 11 times this year and five in 2017 and carried out a litany of offences while on bail.

The boy admitted carrying out a minor assault on a man male at Dunnes Stores, in Balbriggan, Dublin on March 30 last year.

In addition to the attack, he admitted theft of runners valued €54 from the TK Maxx shop at Stephen’s Green, stealing two phones worth €1600 in total from Currys in Blanchardstown on November 6, 2017 as well as an Ipad valued €939 at the Pavillion shopping centre on December 2, 2017, four bottles of aftershave from Boots in Liffey Valley and possessing articles for use in a theft at the Omni Shopping centre in Santry on July 25, 2017.

The teenager also stole a €800 phone from a shop in Carlow, on June 15 last, €83 worth of petrol the following day from a service station in the same town, theft of a €300 phone on June 10, 2018, and another phone worth €1,180 at DID Electrical in Blanchardstown on May 14 last.

He also admitted leaving a Blanchardstown garage without paying for services on April 30 last, stealing a charity box containing €100 from a fast food restaurant in Carlow, on May 22 last, assaulting a staff member at another takeaway in Naas, on June 2018 and theft of two other charity collection boxes on June 11 last and May 13 with each believed to have contained about €100.

The teen stole €15 worth of goods from a Carlow shop on grocery June 24, a bottle of cognac worth €160 on June 5 last and damaged a phone shop display cabinet on May 21.

He was also guilty of a minor assault on a man during an incident in Tallaght on June 4 last.

Pleading for leniency, defence solicitor Matthew Kenny said during the last number of years the boy had come to the adverse attention of gardaí and the Probation Service.

He had difficulties interacting with the Probation Service and a large number of offences were committed while on bail.

The solicitor said the teen had been associating with youths his own age and older.

When he went into custody in August it was the first time he had his liberty taken from him and he now had insight into the consequences of his offending, Mr Kenny said.

The teen’s parents had tried their best. The teenager had gone to school but had decided he would like “a life of crime” and had shown a level of cunning.

In evidence, the teen begged for another chance and the court heard he hoped to get employment.

“That was my first time in a detention centre and it’s made me think about stuff I’ve done and I want to say sorry. I wasn’t thinking, I was young, I see how bad things can get.”

Detaining him for one year, Judge O’Connor agreed to backdate the sentence by two months to take into account time served on remand.

Earlier the court had heard that the boy had also broken all his bail conditions which were imposed earlier this year.

He was supposed to reside with his mother at her home in north County Dublin and obey a 10pm to 6am curfew.

A Garda said there was no parental control over the boy and the teen’s mother had indicated she was not willing to take him home.

A Garda witness also voiced concerns that the teen was a flight risk and his criminal activity was becoming “more aggressive and violent”.

The defence had also said earlier that due to a breakdown in family relationships, he was homeless and had missed court because he felt he would be in more trouble if he went to court without his parents, who are required to attend.