Teenagers destroyed a brand new sensory room in Dublin for children with autism, which was “trashed” a week before its unveiling, a court has heard.
A 15-year-old schoolboy pleaded guilty to burglary of the River Valley Community Centre, Swords, which was ransacked on August 18th, 2023.
Sentencing was adjourned at the Dublin Children’s Court on Tuesday pending the preparation of a pre-sanction report.
Judge Shalom Binchy saw a list of the damaged specialised fixtures and fittings which included a padded door and wall, foam materials, an ocean effect projector, balls, a sensory tube, a mirror, steps, a railing, and other items in the room.
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Garda Jordan Martin described the scene afterwards as “completely destroyed, it was trashed”.
The court heard that four youths had gone when gardaí went to the centre at 9.40pm and saw a door had been opened.
Garda Martin said it had been recently refurbished with a new sensory room for children with autism.
CCTV evidence from the building led to the identification of the accused, then aged 13, and three other boys who gained entry by force. However, there was no footage from inside the sensory room.
Garda Martin said they were responsible for substantial damage, which cost €12,178 to repair.
The room was due to be unveiled the following week, but that had to be delayed.
Defence solicitor Brian Keenan acknowledged the seriousness of the incident, which he said was aggravated by the fact that it was a facility for children who needed it the most.
The teenager did not give evidence, but his solicitor said he was apologetic and was pleading guilty. Mr Keenan pleaded with the judge not to send the case to the Circuit Court, which has greater sentencing powers, and to note his age and level of maturity at the time, which he said were important factors.
He asked the judge to note that the Director of Public Prosecutions recommended the case be dealt with in the Children’s Court, which could consider a maximum one-year term, and which Mr Keenan argued was sufficient to deal with the case.
The boy, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, accepted that he “pulled at” some items in the room.
The court heard he was still in school, keeping his head down, not coming to Garda attention, and was engaging with a social care services provider in Dublin.
The other boys involved in the incident avoided a court prosecution after being found eligible for the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, which aims to prevent young offenders and children involved in antisocial behaviour from reoffending.
However, the defendant was not suitable for that approach and was charged.
Judge Binchy accepted jurisdiction due to his age at the time, his guilty plea and how gardaí dealt with the other participants.
The boy, accompanied in court by his father and a family support worker, was remanded on bail to appear again later this month.
Judge Binchy stressed that it was a very serious matter and expected full compliance from the teenager who was referred to the Probation Service to draft a pre-sentence report.
