Teen ‘turns up at probation under the influence of an illicit substance’
A TEEN (16) who stole newspapers and headbutted his mother spent a night in a Dublin hotel room with 12 other young people “took drugs and engaged in sexual acts,” Tallaght District Court has heard.
The teenager told Judge Patricia McNamara: “That’s not true.”
The sixteen-year-old, who has an address in Rathfarnham, had pleaded guilty to assaulting his mother at his home address on May 5, 2017.
He had previously pleaded guilty to stealing newspapers worth €200 from a petrol station in Rathfarnham on September 23, 2017.
He was before Judge McNamara for a probation report and was accompanied by his mother.
Judge McNamara told the teenager she had read the probation report.
Speaking to him, she said: “I’m dissappointed with you. I’m very very dissappointed. What are we going to do with you. You are spiralling downward.
“You turned up at a probation meeting under the influence of an illicit substance. Your coach says that you are not fit because you are taking drugs and you have been absent from training. The report says you stayed a night in a Dublin hotel room with 12 others and took drugs and engaged in sexual acts.”
The teenager said: “That’s not true”.
Currently the teenager is under a curfew and must be home by 7pm except on the nights he has football training.
The teenager asked for his curfew of 7pm to be relaxed.
Judge McNamara asked him what his trigger for taking drugs.
He said: “When I’m in at 7. I have nothing else to do. I might as well be stoned in my house.”
The teenager’s solicitor, Michael Hennessy, said his clients behaviour had deteriorated after his sister became seriously ill.
Mr Hennessy said: “He talks himself into a lot of trouble. He is not a manipulative person. He is far too honest.”
Judge McNamara said she would have to look at imposing a sentence of detention at this stage.
Mr Hennessy asked her not to. The judge decreased the curfew to 8pm and remanded him for one week for a further probation report.
