€54k damage ‘by youth at Oberstown’

A YOUTH at the Oberstown young offenders centre has been accused of assaulting a staff member and causing €54,000 worth of criminal damage during four violent incidents at the facility.

A Children’s Court judge has refused jurisdiction to hear the trial of the 17-year-old boy.

In one incident alone, youths armed with metal poles and weights attacked staff and caused more than €26,000 worth of damage.

The facility in Lusk in north Co. Dublin is the State’s main place of detention for offenders.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, is accused of taking part in violent incidents on four dates and faced a preliminary hearing at the Dublin Children’s Court to decide his trial venue.

Judge John O’Connor held that the case was too serious to accept jurisdiction and he held that the youth must be tried in the circuit court which has tougher sentencing powers.

He is charged with theft of a electronic security key, assaulting a male unit manager and criminal damage to security doors, a locking mechanism as well as glass security windows and a door on October 31 last year. He is also accused of causing damage to furniture and electronic equipment including a CCTV camera at the detention centre on dates in January, February and September last year.

In an outline of the allegations, Garda Sergeant Eoin McDonnell told Judge O’Connor that during the incident on October 31 last, the boy stole a security key from a staff member and, with a second youth, they armed themselves with a metal pole and weights and caused €26,617 worth of damage.

One detention centre worker who tried to disarm the boy was punched to his head and face.

The court heard that the youth is still being held at the detention centre. The defence asked Judge O’Connor to note that the incidents go back some time.

Judge O’Connor adjourned te case for a book of evidence to be prepared by the prosecution.