Two youths who helped drive a family from their Dublin home in a campaign of intimidation were convicted of criminal damage to the family¿s car today.
Kevin O'Connor (18) and Anthony McClean (18) were found guilty of criminally damaging the car of their former neighbour Mr John Cunningham and remanded for payment of compensation and probation reports.
They had denied the charge which, Mr Cunningham told the court, was the last act in a history of intimidation which made him and his family decide to move out of St Anne's Avenue in Raheny last November.
On the Friday before the move, Mr Cunningham noticed a group of youths acting suspiciously outside his house. He had a feeling something was going to happen and after everyone in his home had gone to bed, he switched off all the lights and kept watch.
Around 12.45am, he saw Kevin O'Connor, who lives across the road, come from his house and gesture in the direction of a nearby public park. Four other youths, including Anthony McClean, came towards him.
McClean, who also lives on St Anne's Avenue, was carrying a pump which he used to spray white paint over Mr Cunningham's 01D car. O'Connor took out a key and scraped the side of the car at the same time.
The gardaí were called and later that morning, McClean and O'Connor were arrested in their homes. Garda Trevor Markham noticed that McClean had two paint spots on his jeans and they were seized. A door key in O'Connor's possession also had white paint on its tip and it was seized.
State forensic scientist John McCullough examined the key and trousers and found the paint resembled microscopically and in chemical composition the paint found on the car.
Judge Clare Leonard remanded both on continuing bail to December 2nd for a probation report and to allow them to come up with proposals for compensation.