‘Get into trouble again and I will put you away,’ judge tells teen (16)
By Brendan Grehan
A TEENAGER caught carrying out a bogus charity collection is in the “last chance saloon”, Tallaght Court heard this week. He was before Judge John Coughlan for a probation report.
The 16-year-old, with an address in Tallaght, had been found guilty after a trial of possession of a charity collection card for the intention that it be used for an offence under Section 6 of the theft and fraud offences act at a location in Rathfarnham on January 22, 2015.
An employee of the Charities Regulatory Authority had told the court that the boxing club in question was not a registered charity and that the reference number on the collection card was false.
An employee of the Revenue Commissioners told the court that a sporting body could not be a charity.
The court had heard from a garda that on January 22, 2015, he had been on patrol in Rathfarnham at 9pm when he got a call to go to a break-in at a nearby estate. They drove around the estate and then went to a nearby busy street because that is where they thought someone who was trying to fit into a crowd would go.
He saw three young males walking along the street. On seeing the gardaí one of the males walked into a shop and came out again.
The garda found the teenager, who was one of the males, in possession of a collection card for the boxing club and €45 in cash. The teenager was later arrested and charged.
The court heard that another male was also found in possession of a collection card for the boxing club.
The teenager had told the court that he got the money from his father and that he found the collection card in an estate where his girlfriend lives.
This week, the teenager appeared before Judge John Coughlan for a probation report.
His counsel, George Burns Bl , said it was a good report and added that his client had not got into trouble.
Judge Coughlan told the teenager: “You are in the last chance saloon. Get into trouble again and I will put you away”.
The teenager told the judge: “That’s what you said to me the last time.”
Judge Coughlan remanded the teenager on continuing bail to a date December for a further probation report.
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