The Children's Court/Carl O'Brien: The boy sank his head even further inside his zipped-up Adidas sports jacket as the full impact of the judge's ruling hit him.
It was a day of heavy sentencing for children caught up in car theft, joyriding or other road traffic offences in the Children's Court yesterday.
And the 16 year-old from Dublin's inner city knew what was coming as Judge Seán MacBride spoke at length before sentencing him at how soft penalties for serious crimes had led to a rise of incidents in recent times.
"For two or three years in this country six-month sentences were being handed down for every joy-riding offence. It led to a dramatic decrease in offences.
"A message has to go out as a deterrent. This country has gone very soft in relation to serious crime, but I am not soft. This is a very grave offence," the judge said, as the inner city youth inspected the wood-panelled floor.
"I'm sending a clear message to people who steal cars. They're going to jail. I'm going to stop this violence."
The boy had been spotted by gardaí last September driving a stolen Honda Civic on the North Strand Road.
He was chased on foot after abandoning the car and was arrested. Two months later he was spotted again by gardaí driving a stolen Nissan Micra. All this occurred, it emerged, following a conviction for dangerous driving earlier in the year.
His solicitor, John Quinn, pleading for mitigation, said his client had completed his junior cert, was on a FÁS scheme and hoped to get a job.
The judge, who commented that his own car was stolen some time ago, said he had to take tough action. He handed down a six-month sentence in St Patrick's Institution.
His mother sobbed quietly, and let out a muffled cry of, "Oh, no", while the 16-year-old glanced worriedly in her direction.
Later in the afternoon in Court 55, family members of two brothers accused of unlawfully driving a stolen Ford Fiesta, crowded into the cramped courtroom.
The two brothers, aged 15 and 16, sat in the small witness box as a garda from Ronanstown station told the court how he spotted them driving "erratically" on Fonthill Road at around 5 a.m.
As he turned on the siren, the garda said, the younger brother leaned out of the window and started throwing objects at the patrol car. The 16-year-old driver was apprehended. The 15-year-old, who escaped, was arrested a week later. The car was so badly damaged that the owner was told not to bother collecting it.
Pleading for mitigation, the boys' solicitors said their family history was deeply chaotic. Their parents suffered from alcoholism. They had been in health board care from an early age.
The judge, noting that the 16-year-old had a previous conviction, sentenced him to eight months detention. The boy's eyes streamed with tears, as his younger brother placed his hand awkwardly on his shoulder.
There was also bad news for the 15-year-old, who had amassed some 20 previous convictions in recent years.
Judge MacBride imposed a two-month sentence on the boy, who was already serving a two-year sentence in Trinity House.
The mother broke into sobs of tears, while a younger relative furiously motioned to him that she would organise bail money.
Judge MacBride, meanwhile, said he had little choice. "It gives me no pleasure to do this . . . the family background is one of impoverishment. But I have a duty to society."