Youth (16) told to stay away from beer cans

‘YOU’VE got talents. Stay away from the cans,’ that was the advice from Judge Gerard Haughton to a 16-year-old who faced burglary and public order charges at the District Court in Ardcavan.

The cans mentioned by the judge were beer cans such as the one that the young defendant found holding in Wexford’s North Main Street late one night.

He was one of a group of track-suited teenagers encountered in the street by Garda Eamonn Cahill as he responded to a report of anti-social behaviour in the area.

The result was a charge of public intoxication and the garda gave evidence of being concerned on the night in question that the accused boy might wander into traffic.

Judge Gerard Haughton felt that the concern was legitimate but noted that the defendant went home safely with his friends that night.

Also considered by the court was an incident at the North Slob on the evening of July 20 when a rock was thrown through the window of the visitor centre there.

The youth was arrested near that scene and admitted breaking the window, which cost €200 to repair.

He brought €20 to court and Judge Haughton offered to leave him without a criminal conviction on his record once the remaining €180 is paid up.

The teenager agreed to put aside a tenner a week from a trainee allowance and the matter was put back to March 5 in the expectation that the full amount will be available by then.