Cork teenager accused of being armed with slash hook blade and trespassing refused bail

The court heard that when gardaí tracked him down for the purpose of charging him on April 11 he jumped out the window of his residence in an attempt to evade them

The accused was remanded in detention to Oberstown centre in Dublin. File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Gardaí objected to bail being granted to a 17-year-old accused of trespassing at a house in Cork and another count of being armed with the blade of a slash hook.

When gardaí tracked him down for the purpose of charging him on April 11 he jumped out the window of his residence in an attempt to evade gardaí. There was an objection to bail being granted to the teenager at Cork District Court.

It is alleged that the teenager entered a house as a trespasser and he was looking for someone who was not there on February 5.

It is alleged that in an earlier incident on the same date he committed another offence in the garden of another house on the same date, where he is charged with being at the property while in possession of the metal part of a slash hook.

After his initial arrest in February he was released without charge so that directions could be obtained from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Garda Alan Donovan went to arrest the accused again on April 11 for the purpose of charging him with the February matters. A relative of the accused admitted gardaí to the teenager’s residence but he jumped out a window and attempted to flee. He was arrested and brought before Cork District Court.

Garda Donovan said: “It will be the State’s case that (the accused) was captured on CCTV which was recovered by gardaí and it is of excellent quality. The injured party also made a statement naming the accused. When he was arrested 13 hours later he was wearing the same clothes that he is seen wearing in the CCTV.

It is my belief if he was to be afforded bail he would interfere with the main witness in this case. And that he will commit serious offences and not abide by the bail conditions.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said he was not calling the teenager to give evidence in his own bail application. Mr Buttimer said: "I do accept there is a strong bail objection. My main point is that he is a juvenile.”

Sergeant John Kelleher submitted: “There is a serious problem going on here. The fact that he tried to evade gardaí last night is not good.” 

Judge Olann Kelleher said there was a presumption for bail to be granted to applicants unless there were strong objections and that this presumption was particularly so for juveniles. However, the judge said that in all the circumstances he would remand the accused in detention to Oberstown centre in Dublin. He is to appear at the juvenile court of Cork District Court on April 14.