A teenager who stole a car has been jailed for 11 months at Mullingar District Court.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was described by Judge Seamus Hughes as being completely out of control.
He has 20 previous convictions, despite being “hand-held by the juvenile liaison officer” and receiving a wide range of supports from community services and “being spoon fed by the State from birth to the present,” observed the judge.
On July 19 the boy was with two males who left Dublin and went to Maynooth train station in Kildare where they sold a vehicle.
They then went to a pub in Bunbrosna where they were seen trying to interfere with another vehicle.
The court heard he is being questioned about an incident where a security guard sustained serious injuries when a brick was thrown at his head.
He is in hospital in Beaumont since August 21.
The boy’s mother said she is getting help to manage her son, but acknowledged she’d previously promised the judge there would be no more trouble with him.
He refused to accept that having four other children should make her situation more difficult.
“I was one of 13 children,” the judge told her. “My mother died at 42. Just because you have other children doesn’t mean you can’t control him.”
He also refused to accept solicitor Patricia Cronin’s contention that her client is trying hard and wants to go back to school.
“I warned him,” said the judge who imposed an 11 month sentence, even though Ms Cronin insisted the two co-accused in the case were given six month sentences.
“If he has his freedom he will commit further serious offences,” he said of the boy, adding that his mother doesn’t have the resources to control him.
