Teen who stole mother's car caused €30,000 worth of damage, court hears

Tom Tuite

A Dublin teenager has been accused of stealing his mother’s car and causing damaged to it with €30,000 to the vehicle and seven other cars.

The boy (17), who cannot be identified because he is a minor, appeared at the Dublin Children’s Court on Thursday, which adjourned the case pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He is accused of motor theft, driving without a licence or insurance, and eight counts of criminal damage in connection with the incident in January in north Dublin.

Garda Sarah Sherlock alleged the teen drove his mother’s car and later drove into seven other vehicles parked on the same road.

Judge Paul Kelly heard the teenager damaged the front and rear of the vehicles, but it was done through “incompetence”.

“He drove into two of them and then reversed and damaged the rest,” the garda said.

Judge Kelly noted it was not believed that the boy deliberately collided with the other vehicles.

The youth was accompanied to court by his mother, who told gardaí her son “did not have permission to drive the car and did not have a licence”.

The boy is yet to enter a plea to the charges.

Defence solicitor Eoghan O’Sullivan said jurisdiction remains to be decided. The case could be sent forward from the Children’s Court to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.

Judge Kelly granted legal aid and ordered the teen to appear before the court again in December.

The judge also heard that the boy was not eligible for the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme, which is an alternative to a court prosecution to divert youths from crime.

It does not carry the risk of a recorded conviction or custodial sentence and requires the young person to accept responsibility for the offence.