A then 13-year-old joyrider who tried to collide with gardaí while driving at 100 km/h during a car theft crime spree has been given a one-year custodial sentence.
After hearing evidence of the boy’s offences, Judge Miriam Walsh remarked: “It is a long time since I have been stunned into silence”.
The boy, now 14, pleaded to 34 charges at the Dublin Children’s Court for motor theft, dangerous driving during high-speed pursuits, criminal damage, stealing a bicycle, failing to appear in court, and driving without a licence or insurance.
Fourteen gardaí brought charges against him for a litany of motoring crimes in the Tallaght area from October 2022 until August.
Garda Luke Beattie, his case manager, outlined the facts on behalf of colleagues.
He told the court that on October 30th, 2022, the teenager caused about €100 worth of damage to a bell and seats on a Dublin Bus.
The court heard that a few weeks later, the teenager damaged a USB port on another bus.
On February 27th, patrolling gardaí observed a “suspicious” Toyota Vitz car in Tallaght, which failed to stop when signalled.
The boy drove into a residential area at 100km/h, twice the local speed limit, as he overtook other vehicles.
The court heard the boy sped up to 120 km/h in 50 km/h areas.
The court heard he was doing 100 km/h when he “made an attempt to collide with a patrol car”, followed by further attempts to hit the garda vehicle.
The court heard that the teenager “completed three loops of the same route before he lost control and collided with a traffic island”.
Garda Beattie said that on February 15th, the boy stole another Toyota Vitz in Ballycullen. He drove dangerously before abandoning the car but was caught nearby.
The court heard that on March 6th, he tried to break into another Toyota Vitz with a wheel brace and caused about €1,000 worth of damage.
Two months later, he tried to break into a Mercedes and another Toyota Vitz, causing €400 of damage.
In June, he broke into a taxi, took €90 worth of property and caused €50 damage before fleeing on a motorcycle.
The court heard that he stole a bicycle in Citywest in July.
Later that month, he stole another Toyota Vitz in Tallaght, ignoring the gardai who signalled him to stop.
He overtook a vehicle, “causing oncoming vehicles to take evasive action”, drove to Saggart village, left the car and fled. However, gardaí caught him climbing over a wall as he tried to escape.
He made admissions and was sent home to his mother, but he was caught carrying a “window breaker” in The Square shopping centre two days later.
On August 1st, he stole a Toyota Aqua in Ballybrack, which gardai recovered in Naas, Co Kildare.
The court heard that he was driving around Tallaght in a stolen Skoda taken in Arklow, Co Wicklow, on the same day.
Garda Beattie said the boy was spotted at Fortunestown Lane travelling on the wrong side of the road and then on a roundabout.
He broke three red lights before abandoning the car.
His barrister, Doireann McDonagh, pleaded with the court to note his young age and that his guilty pleas spared 14 gardai and several civilian witnesses having to give evidence at a trial.
The barrister said the teenager had been getting on well in school and had a supportive mother, who was in court. However, he was affected by a bereavement and began “acting out” when he reached his teenage years.
The defence conceded that there was “custody-level offending” but asked the judge to note the Children’s Act states detention should be the last result.
The boy sat silently throughout the hearing and was held at the Oberstown Children Detention Campus after the court revoked his bail in August.
Probation reports and victim impact statements were furnished to the judge before she finalised the case with a 12-month sentence, back-dated by two months to account for time served on remand.
