A teenage boy who assaulted a teenage girl both violently and indecently whilst engaged in illicit drinking in a schoolyard in a Midlands town was remanded on continuing bail until November after both social workers and the HSE gave evidence the boy has made “remarkable improvement” since his release from St Patrick’s Institution just after Christmas.
In front of a cleared court, Inspector Aidan Minnock explained how the pair had been drinking vodka with a group of other teens in a national school yard on the night of February 13.
“They were separated from the others when he assaulted her, leaving her with a grazed nose and two black eyes,” said the inspector.
“Later, while helping her get sick, he stuck his hand down the back of her trousers,” he continued, in reference to the now 17-year-old defendant.
The boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother and three social workers, had 13 previous convictions. The most recent of these was from Athlone District Court on June 29, 2010 for which he was given four months detention each for possession of knives, theft, and criminal damage.
“My client has a volatile history, and has been in the care of the HSE for a considerable time,” said defending solicitor, Mr Padraig Quinn.
“He has been involved in psychiatric and psychological assessments, and there has been no evidence of psychosis,” he continued.
“There is an anger management issue compounded by alcohol...He was falling down drunk. He admitted the offence immediately and was apologetic. I believe it to be sincere,” said Mr Quinn.
He explained how the youth was now in residential care in Mullingar, and was hoping to attend a teen alcohol treatment centre in Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny.
Solicitor for the HSE, Mr John Cummins, agreed fully with Mr Quinn’s assessment.
“Since the defendant’s release on High Court bail [after serving six months in St Patrick’s] he has shown a remarkable improvement,” said Mr Cummins.
This was further compounded by the manager of the boy’s residential home in Mullingar who outlined the number of special conditions laid down by the High Court, including no access to mobile phones, and being “under staff supervision at all times”.
Judge Hughes admired the strenuous conditions and felt they could be adopted as a template.
“This is practically a lockdown,” he noted.
“It is, judge,” agreed the teen.
He was remanded on continuing bail to November 23, and the judge gave both the HSE and the Gardaí liberty to re-enter charges should the boy re-offend in the interim.
