Boy (15) faces more charges after woman’s neck slashed
FURTHER charges are expected to be brought against a teenager accused of slashing a woman’s neck with a knife after “luring” her to an abandoned location in south Dublin.
The 15-year-old is already charged with seriously assaulting the woman (25) and producing a knife in the alleged attack in Dún Laoghaire two days before Christmas.
Dublin Children’s Court heard yesterday gardaí anticipated bringing further charges. Judge Bernadette Owens remanded the boy in custody to a date next week.
The teenager’s parents were in court for the brief hearing and his mother sat with him throughout, hugging him and holding his hand.
The boy is charged with assault causing harm and producing a knife at the old Dún Laoghaire Baths, Queen’s Road, on December 23.
He was refused bail when he first appeared in court on St Stephen’s Day and an assessment had been ordered at that stage. Judge Owens asked Detective Garda Daniel Treacy what the current position was in the case. Det Gda Treacy said the directions of the DPP were not available yet. “We have directions on the charges before you but we expect there will be further charges,” he added.
Defence barrister Kitty Perle said an initial assessment of the boy had taken place at Oberstown Detention Centre but a full assessment was not ready for the court yet.
Det Gda Treacy said he had no issue with an adjournment to January 11 but added that “we won’t have directions on that date”.
Judge Owens said she would adjourn the case to see what progress could be made on the assessment and the DPP’s directions. The accused, dressed in a long-sleeved red top and blue jeans, was hugged by his mother before he was led away.
Murder
On the last court date, Judge Brian O’Shea had refused to grant the youth bail after hearing he allegedly met the woman on an anonymous social media website. Judge O’Shea had said he accepted the evidence of Det Gda Treacy, who told the court he believed the boy would be “likely to commit murder if released”.
The boy is also alleged to have used a knife to inflict a “lengthy transverse [horizontal] laceration to her neck”, the court heard.
The court heard they exchanged text messages via the app before meeting.
Gardaí have obtained CCTV footage from the area, the court was told.