Teenager gets 12 months on probation for travelling in stolen cherry picker in Cork City

The escapade was videoed and widely shared on social media.

An escapade through the streets of Cork in a stolen cherry picker last November resulted in a young man being remanded in custody for seven months and now he has been released and put on a 12-month probation bond.

Judge Philip O’Leary put Patrick Costin on the bond and noted that he had effectively served seven months in custody.

Judge O’Leary put two conditions on the bond, that he would be of good behaviour and comply with all directions of the probation service for a period of 12 months.

Noting from defence solicitor Killian McCarthy’s submission that the 18-year-old had a difficult childhood, Judge O’Leary told Mr Costin that he should avail of every assistance offered by the probation service.

Patrick Costin of Cork Simon Community pleaded guilty to allowing himself to be carried in the stolen vehicle.

The escapade was videoed and widely shared on social media.

Garda Paul McCarthy previously testified that at 8.20pm on Sunday, November 2, 2025, gardaí responded to a report of a theft of scissor lift that was about to be collected and removed from St. Patrick’s Quay. He said keys were not in the ignition but in one of the compartments of the cage so that it could be collected.

“It is alleged that on the quay and on roads and pedestrian footpaths along the centre of Cork City there was dangerous driving. This incident occurred at a time when both road and pedestrian traffic in the city centre was busy and the incident was captured on mobile phone cameras and shared on social media by multiple witnesses at different parts of the route. 

"The scissor-lift was brought to a stop by gardaí on South Gate Bridge where arrests were made,” Garda McCarthy said.