Teen who burgled sports clubs given three months detention

A teenager responsible for what Judge Brian O’Shea called a litany of offences in New Ross was sentenced to three months detention at the Oberstown centre.

The defendant, aged 16, came to the District Court in Wexford with his father for the hearing. He was just 13 when the crimes which landed him in trouble started.

They included counts of trespass, theft and unauthorised taking of a vehicle on various dates in 2017 and 2018. Also on the list were charges relating to arson, obstruction of gardaí, criminal damage and threatening/abusive behaviour.

The judge confirmed that the accused had entered guilty pleas in response to at least 20 charges.

It was recalled that on a previous occasion, the young defendant was offered a choice by the court. He was told that if he was given a good report by probation staff and stayed out of trouble then he would be allowed the benefit of the Probation Act.

However, it was stated that, while under Covid-19 restrictions, he had come to the attention of gardaí on three dates during June. He was implicated in two assault allegations and one alleged public order incident.

Solicitor Lana Doherty reckoned that there was not much to keep him occupied with Youthreach closed. She offered no excuses for the teenager’s recent behaviour but suggested that he required such services to be in operation.

Judge O’Shea acknowledged the favourable probation report but felt obliged to record three consecutive one-month sentences in the light of the recent alleged misbehaviour.

The terms of detention were handed down for burglaries committed at New Ross GAA club and at the Geraldine O’Hanrahans GAA club.

The third matter was the theft of a mobile phone and sat nav, which occurred in Irishtown in June of 2018

The father embraced his son and said ‘ head up’ before the defendant was led away into custody