'Major concerns': Girl (16) repeatedly missing from care was dealing crack on O'Connell Street

Tom Tuite

A 16-year-old girl who has repeatedly gone missing from care was caught selling crack cocaine on Dublin's O'Connell Street, prompting "major concerns" for her safety.

The teen, who cannot be named because she is a minor, appeared before Judge Paul Kelly at the Dublin Children's Court on Tuesday, facing fresh drug charges, just over a week ahead of her trial for cocaine dealing.

She was charged with possessing cocaine and having it for sale or supply.

A contested bail hearing was told that the substance had been tested and found to contain cocaine, with gardaí suspecting it to be crack.

Bail was granted with a warning to comply with her conditions, including a curfew.

It was noted that Tusla applications have been made under the Child Care Act for a more appropriate placement for the child, which could be affected if she were remanded in custody to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus.

She was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday and held pending her court appearance.

The teen faced an objection to bail on her new charges and an application to revoke her bail attached to her forthcoming hearing for cocaine dealing and damaging a desk at Garda Station on a date in January.

Garda Finbar Thompson said there were "major concerns for her safety" following her latest arrest for alleged drug transactions.

The suspected crack supply was estimated to be worth €240, the court heard.

Garda Thompson said the girl had gone missing from her accommodation or breached her curfew 17 times in the past 18 days, and 67 times overall.

However, he conceded to defence counsel Orla Doolin that the teen always returned to her accommodation in Dublin.

Citing hearsay, the barrister also challenged attempts to introduce a chart outlining the dates the girl had gone missing. However, Doolin said that the girl agreed she had been on four dates.

Garda Sergeant Chris Jones outlined that the missing reports had been collated from the teen's current placement and uploaded to the Garda database.

He detailed that he had kept the girl under observation at about 1am as she was with older drug users aged from 20 to their early 40s.

He said the bag seized from the teen contained "15 individual street deals, not simply one block of crack."

He agreed with counsel that it was dark, but said there was lighting in the area and the girl was recognisable.

The defence argued that there was nothing to suggest the girl was a flight risk or likely to interfere with witnesses or evidence.

The barrister submitted that, given the value of the substance in the new charge, the girl, if convicted, was unlikely to face a custodial sentence. It was also stressed that the teen still enjoyed the presumption of innocence.

Judge Kelly declined the request to deny bail, but warned that he would be "seriously inclined to do so" if she continued to break the terms, which included a ban on going to the O'Connell Street area.

Despite her track record, he allowed her a final opportunity to comply.

The teenager, who sat with her face resting in her palm for most of the hearing, interacted briefly, with some prompting, when quizzed by the judge on whether she understood.

She will appear again next week.

Her social care worker was present at the bail hearing, and the judge was informed that she was also supposed to be involved in a bail supervision programme that assists juvenile defendants.

However, gardaí had been unable to get an update on her engagement by the time of the hearing.