False imprisonment charges for woman (18) in vulnerable adult theft probe

Tom Tuite

A young woman has been charged with false imprisonment stemming from a Garda investigation into thefts from vulnerable adults in Dublin.

The 18-year-old, who cannot be named because she was aged 17 and still a minor when initially accused of connected theft offences, appeared at the Dublin Children's Court.

She had been charged eight months beforehand by officers from the Serious Crime Unit at Pearse Street Garda Station with theft of €500 from Joshua Spurling, 23, at Aston Quay, Dublin 2, on January 21st.

The student with Down syndrome from Greystones, Co. Wicklow, had been on a college trip to the city that day.

The complainant's mother, Ruth Spurling, spoke on RTÉ's Liveline days afterwards.

However, gardaí received directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge the teenage defendant with false imprisonment of two males, including Mr Spurling, at Aston Quay, and the second complainant in the Ilac Centre, on January 20th.

The DPP also directed that the case is to go forward to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.

She has not yet entered a plea and was remanded on bail by Judge Brendan Toale to appear again later this month to be served with a book of evidence and returned for trial.

The teen must remain outside Dublin 2, except for attending legal advice sessions and residing at their current home address.

A bail condition prohibits her from approaching people with intellectual disabilities or any educational courses they attended.

Her sister, who is one year younger, is also before the courts on connected charges.

They were also accused of stealing sums totalling €703 from another male at two locations on January 20th in the city centre: a store in the Ilac shopping centre and a shop at College Green.