A teenage boy, who took part in burglaries at University College Dublin (UCD), has been remanded on bail pending sentence on his 26th criminal conviction.
The 17-year-old father-to-be pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children's Court to charges for burglary, car theft and related motoring offences, at UCD, on two separate dates.
In another incident, for which he has also admitted a theft charge, he stole a garda's mobile phone while they were in a courthouse, Judge Ann Ryan heard.
His latest crimes happened within months of being bound to the peace for two years for earlier crimes.
Det Garda Richard Noonan said on July 13th he was caught driving a car in the grounds of UCD which had been taken from the university's car park.
On June 29th the south Dublin teenager "went into an office in UCD's science block and stole a laptop computer which was not recovered", the court heard.
The teenager had 21 previous convictions for public order, burglary, possession of illegal drugs, possessing a flick knife and illegal driving offences, going back to early 2006. He had been let off under the Probation Act and bound to the peace numerous times but had also received a two-month sentence for the flick knife.
The court heard the boy's girlfriend was expecting his baby and he had always maintained a good employment history and had since started a training course.
Judge Ryan said he had been involved in "very serious matters" and adjourned sentencing until November for a Probation Service report to be furnished.