A 16-YEAR-OLD boy whose guardian moved house in an attempt to stop him getting into trouble has been remanded on continuing bail pending sentence for his 33rd conviction.
The north Dublin youth had pleaded guilty earlier at the Children’s Court to travelling as a passenger in cars that had been stolen in the city’s southside in January and in February. He also admitted failing to comply with a Garda direction to move on under the Public Order Act.
The teenager already has 30 prior convictions which include motor theft, criminal damage and handling stolen goods. Last year he had been sentenced to three months in Oberstown Boys Centre, a juvenile detention facility in north Co Dublin.
His case had been adjourned until yesterday when defence solicitor Gareth Noble told Judge Ann Ryan that the Probation Service was seeking further time to supervise him. It was hoped that he would receive a placement in a residential centre for troubled youths and that a training course would also be obtained for him.
Judge Ryan adjourned sentencing and remanded him on bail to appear again in June.
She said a lot of supports had been put in place to help; it was important that he engaged with the assistance offered and “very importantly does not come to the attention of the gardaí”.
Mr Noble had said the youth’s guardian, a member of his extended family who had raised him, was “very concerned he is engaging in this type of behaviour, not only by doing it and inconveniencing injured parties, but there is an element of danger involved.”
The youth had been living in north Dublin with his guardian. “There were a lot of difficulties there and he was getting himself into a lot of trouble, for that reason she moved.”
However, Mr Noble said problems began again when he started to return to the area where he had grown up. In his mitigation plea, he had also told Judge Ryan that the youth realised he could no longer continue to pick up new charges and it was his intention to begin a training course.
He said the guardian attended his court cases every time and was anxious for him to have some structure in his life and for him to stop coming to the notice of gardaí.