Boy (13) alleged to have ‘lined up’ youths to rob them in Dublin

A 13-year-old boy with a drug addiction allegedly lined a group of youths up against a fence rob them while armed with a knife, a court has heard.

The boy, now aged 15, faced a preliminary hearing on Friday to consider the venue for his trial.

In an outline of the evidence, Garda Elaine Dodds told Dublin Children's Court that the incident happened on October 20th, 2019. Six youths aged 14 and 15 were walking home from sports practice through a park in Drumcondra, Dublin when three youths, including the accused approached them.

The court heard the accused produced a bicycle pump that appeared to the victims like a police baton. It is claimed he used it to beat one of the boys until he relinquished his bicycle. The boy also received several strikes as he tried to flee.

The defendant, purportedly armed with a switchblade knife, also demanded a phone from a member of the group. One teen was injured from blows to his head and legs, and another hurt himself trying to escape through a rusty fence.

It was claimed the other four boys “were lined up against a fence” by the teenager, who told them to empty their pockets and took two mobile phones and a bicycle.

Gardaí obtained CCTV evidence and arrested the accused.

Defence counsel Seosaimhín Ní Chathasaigh pleaded with Judge Paul Kelly to accept jurisdiction, citing the boy's youth and level of maturity.

However, the court heard the boy was misusing substances at the time and had said he was “taking €1,000 worth of drugs weekly”. He is now receiving supports and attending education full time, and getting help from mental health services. The court heard the accused was with older youths at the time of the incident.

The State argued that the case should go to the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers. Refusing jurisdiction, Judge Kelly agreed and adjourned the case for prosecutors to prepare a book of evidence. The boy has not yet indicated how he will plead.