picture sharing.
Court hears 16-year-old went on crime spree after threats from 'local heavies'
A 16-YEAR-OLD Dublin boy broke into 14 cars over two days to pay back a drug debt to a group of “heavies” who intimidated his family, a judge has heard.

The first-time offender had been doing well in school and active in sports until he began abusing “street tablets” which led to him building up a massive drug-debt he could not afford, the Dublin Children's Court was told.

Following a garda investigation it was established he broke into 14 cars during a two-day crime spree , and when he came to court he pleaded guilty to 15 criminal damage charges. The 16-year-old also admitted four connected charges for: possessing a long piece of steel and a hammer use in thefts, theft of €5 and a bottle of aftershave, and one for attempted burglary.

All the incidents happened in the Dublin 7 area at houses at Villa Park Road, Villa Park Gardens and Villa Park Drive, on December 4 and at Croke Patrick Road on January 24 last.

Evidence has yet to be heard on the bulk of the charges but Judge John O'Connor was given details of the attempted burglary.

Garda Adrian Burns told the juvenile court that on December 4 a report had been received of a number of car break-ins. Gda Burns spotted the youth coming out of a garage at the side of a house and trying to hide before he was arrested.

Gda Burn said 14 cars were broken into and property was taken from them; when detained for questioning the boy, who had no criminal convictions, made admissions.

The teenager was accompanied to the hearing by his mother who sat by his side and was visibly upset.

Defence solicitor Gareth Noble explained that “this is a young man who has never been before the courts before” and the crimes happened at a time the boy had become heavily addicted to “tablets he procured on the street”.

He was in school and was involved in sports but both “fell by the wayside” as a result of his taking drugs, described in court as “street tablets”.

“In these circumstances he was not able to afford the amount of drugs he was consuming on a daily basis,” Mr Noble said. The teen was under influence of these pills when the offences took place and his “memory is somewhat blighted”, the judge heard.

The juvenile court was also told the teen's drug-taking led to him building up debts which placed his family under huge strain. Mr Noble said they were “visited on occasions by a number of local heavies asking for the money back”.

“To do that, they suggested he get the money whatever way he could,” the lawyer also said.

Judge O'Connor was also told that the boy was given a “time-scale to get it back” and committed the offences to build up the funds necessary to pay the money.

The lawyer said the boy continued to have family support and his life has become more stable. He also asked the judge to note that the teenager had pleaded guilty to all the charges despite some evidential gaps in the prosecution's case.

He would work with the Probation Service to address his offending and the possibility of reimbursing the car owners for the damage he caused, the court was told.

Judge O'Connor said the teenager, who is on bail, faced very serious charges and had affected a number of victims. He adjourned the case until July when a pre-sentence probation report is to be furnished to the court.