Teen pleads guilty to causing serious harm in Dublin

Alison O’Riordan

A 19-year-old who was charged with attempting to murder a teenager in Dublin city when he was 17 has pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious harm to that victim and making a threat to kill or cause serious injury to another teenager.

The defendant was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to a number of related charges.

Lorcan Staines SC, prosecuting, told Mr Justice Paul McDermott there were four counts against the defendant.

He said guilty pleas could be entered on three of those counts and a "nolle prosequi" would be entered in due course against the charge of attempted murder. This means the State will not be proceeding with the prosecution against the teenager on the attempted murder count.

The defendant was originally charged with attempting to murder a teenage boy at Tymon Lane in Tallaght on January 2nd, 2021. At the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, the defendant pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious harm to him at that address on that date.

He also pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill or cause serious injury to a second teenage boy, intending him to believe that the threat would be carried out at Red Cow Luas Stop, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 on April 14th, 2021.

The defendant further pleaded guilty to having on him a knife which had a blade, or which was sharply pointed on the same occasion.

Conor Devally SC, defending, said his client was 17 at the time of these events and had been remanded to Cork Prison.

Mr Justice McDermott remanded the teenager in custody until July 17th for a sentence hearing and directed the preparation of a probation report, a governor's report and a urine analysis.