Teen beat mother over the head with bicycle saddle in front of kids, court hears

Tom Tuite

A Dublin teenager is facing trial accused of beating a mother over the head with the metal end of a bicycle saddle in front of her children.

Dublin Children's Court heard it happened after an earlier row, and he waited for her to come home from a school run.

The 16-year-old boy is charged with assault causing harm, and producing a weapon during the incident, which followed an earlier altercation between the woman and youths over a stolen bicycle.

Garda Dean Foster told Judge Brendan Toale that the incident happened in a west Dublin suburb on a date in June last year.

Gardaí received a 999 call and found the woman bleeding.

The teen faced a preliminary hearing to decide his trial venue after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommended the case go forward to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.

After hearing an outline of the allegations and defence submissions, Judge Toale agreed with the DPP's recommendation and refused jurisdiction.

The boy, accompanied to court by his mother, was remanded on continuing bail pending the preparation of the prosecution's book of evidence, which needs to be served before the court grants a return for trial order.

Garda Foster alleged that the boy, then 15, was waiting for the woman when she collected her children and was at her house. He confronted her holding a bicycle saddle and began "striking her on the head with the metal end".

She was cut during the assault in front of her children, needed five stitches and suffered bruising. It was alleged the accused had also chased her partner before the assault.

The garda agreed with the defence that it happened after the woman accused the teen of something he denied.

The court heard he had been associating with negative peers at the time but later took part in a supervision programme for teens on bail. He cannot be named because he is a minor.