Two youths who wrecked a park after they went on the rampage in a mechanical digger have been ordered to pay for the damage they caused.
The youths, aged 16 and 17, had fallen in with a bad crowd and became involved in the incident where a mechanical digger was taken from a building site and then driven across the park.
The older youth had already been grounded by his parents for trouble making and when they gave him a reprieve and let him out of the house he took part in the vandalism, the Dublin Children's Court heard.
The court was told that some €4,000 worth of damage was caused to the park and a further €2,030 in damage to the digger.
The Dublin City Council had to foot the bill for what they did, Judge Gerard Haughton was told.
The incident took place on February 9th, last at a park which is home to the Lucan Harriers Sports grounds, on the Newcastle Road, in Lucan.
Both pleaded guilty yesterday to two charges of criminal damage to the park and digger.
The council had paid for the reparations to the park but the owner of the digger is still out of pocket, Judge Haughton noted.
Solicitor Ms Michelle Finan, defending both, said the 17-year-old had been grounded at his home that week after getting into trouble in school. But on the day of the incident his mother let him out to get some "fresh air" and to return a video to a rental shop. On his way back the schoolboy somehow became involved in this incident, she said.
He has no previous convictions and has given assurances that he will not come to Garda attention again, Ms Finan said.
The younger one who left school after completing his Junior Certificate had also been led astray by other parties into taking part in the crime. He is now staying away from a "certain element" in his locality, she said.
Ms Finan said both now realise they have put people at a loss and if given time will try to pay compensation for the damage they caused.
Judge Haughton said he would be prepared to leave them without a conviction on their record providing they make a reasonable effort to pay compensation and if they stay out of trouble in the mean time.
Bail was granted and the case was adjourned until a date in September for them to come to court with the compensation offer.