Youth who mugged Longitude reveller gets suspended sentence

A youth who mugged a reveller following the Longitude music festival has been given a suspended sentence.

Dublin Children’s Court heard then 17-year-old followed his victim before chasing him on and pulling him off a bus.

He pleaded guilty to the robbery of the man at Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, Co. Dublin, on July 15th, 2018.

Garda Shauna Byrne told the court the victim had been going home from the Longitude festival when the teenager, who had 41 prior criminal convictions, asked him for his phone.

He followed the man onto a bus and pulled him off the bus before taking his phone, worth €250, the court heard.

The youth, now aged 18, but a juvenile at the time, had six previous burglary convictions. His criminal record also included 11 common assaults and one assault causing harm offence. He also had 16 criminal damage convictions, one for trespass, six thefts and one for stealing a vehicle.

"I was a kid when it all happened," the youth told Judge Brendan Toale.

He has already been given a three-year sentence with two suspended, and is due to be released in December.

His barrister asked for credit to be given to the defendant for his guilty plea and because made admissions to the investigating garda. He wished to apologise and to indicate to the court that substance abuse was a significant issue for him at the time of his offending.

However, he made a “significant turnaround” and is now drug free. He is going to school in custody and has done constructions work courses. He was also in a stable relationship.

Judge Toale described it as a “robbery with force” which was a relatively serious matter. He also noted the defendant had a considerable number of previous convictions. However, he took into account his guilty plea and full admissions.

He imposed a three-month sentence but suspended it on condition he does not re-offend in the next six months.