A 15-year-old boy who was part of a violent gang which attacked gardaí with kicks, bites, punches, stones and bottles and hit a female garda in the stomach with a brick has decided that he wants to be detained for two years.
The teenager had been given a two-year sentence by the Dublin Children's Court on December 11th.
However, he was released within two hours after bail was lodged, allowing him to appeal the severity of the sentence.
Judge David Anderson was told yesterday that the north Dublin teenager had been arrested on New Year's Eve for a public order disturbance.
The boy's mother no longer wanted to stand bail pending the appeal and the boy was accepting the two-year detention order, which is to be served in the Trinity House juvenile detention centre.
He and three other teenagers were convicted of assaulting gardaí, obstruction, drunk and disorderly behaviour and breach of the peace arising from the violent disturbance in Ballymun, which lasted for more than two hours on the night of May 13th.
Gardaí from six Dublin stations and the Garda helicopter were called in to provide back-up. The violence erupted after gardaí responded to a report of vandalism.
Garda Ciarán Murrihy, of Ballymun station, said that bricks, bottles and stones were thrown at his patrol car.
Two colleagues were surrounded by about 15 youths. They were attacked with punches and kicks by two of the defendants.
A trainee garda was hit by a brick in her stomach and had to receive hospital treatment.