Teen allegedly petrol-bombed woman's home hours after demanding PlayStation 

The teenager is charged with demanding with unwarranted menaces a PS4.

A 16-year-old boy allegedly petrol-bombed the home of a Co Clare woman hours after demanding with menaces a PlayStation 4 (PS4) from her.

That is the allegation made by the State against the Clare teenager where he is facing three separate charges connected to the alleged petrol bomb attack on a home in a housing estate in a Clare town on April 4.

At the Children’s Court in Ennis, the teen, now aged 17, sat in the dock of the court flanked by his parents to hear Sergeant Aiden Lonergan of Ennis Garda Station allege that the accused “had a home-made petrol bomb and threw it towards the house”.

In the case, the teenager is charged with committing arson at the home of the woman without lawful excuse contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act in the early hours of April 4.

The teenager is also charged with demanding with unwarranted menaces a PS4 and €200 from the owner of the house on April 3, hours before the alleged petrol bomb attack.

The teenager is also charged with posting a Snapchat message on his social media platform for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, or needless anxiety to another person on April 3 and April 4 contrary to Section 13 of the Post Office Amendment Act.

Background

Providing background to the alleged petrol bomb attack, Sgt Lonergan said that after the teenager was released from hospital, it is alleged that he prepared a petrol bomb at his home and brought it to another address in the town.

Judge Patrick Durcan said: “This is the first time we have had anything of this nature in Co Clare in recent times.” 

Asked by Judge Durcan how “lethal” was the homemade petrol bomb, Sgt Lonergan handed in photographs of the remnants of the petrol bomb.

Sgt Lonergan said that it will be alleged that the accused, who cannot be named as he is aged under 18, threw the petrol bomb “at the rear of the house causing the bomb to explode”.

He said that the flames were extinguished before any serious damage occurred and that “no one received injury from the incident”.

“There was only smoke damage to a kitchen window of the house," he said.

“There was a certain context to all of this,” said Sgt Lonergan, adding that the DPP has consented to the case proceeding in the district court.

However, Judge Durcan had the option of transferring the case to the circuit court based on the gravity of the alleged offence but on hearing an outline of the facts, the judge said that the case would be heard in the district court.

Judge Durcan adjourned the case to December 9 when the accused will enter either a plea of guilty or not guilty.

Judge Durcan ordered that disclosure of all Garda documents in the case be given to the defence.

“There's a fine size of disclosure,” said Sgt Lonergan.