A 14-year old Ennis boy engaged in a ‘spree’ of offending where he is accused of the theft of four cars and trying to burn out one of the cars over a number of hours in east Clare and south Galway earlier this year, a court has heard.
At the Children’s Court in Ennis, Det Sgt Denis Stack said that the accused committed the ‘spree’ with another juvenile in east Clare and south Galway on the night of February 3rd/4th this year.
In the case, the teenager – now aged 15 – is facing additional charges including arson where he is accused of criminally damaging by fire one of the vehicles, a 11 MO registered Kia Ceed at Fossabeg, Scariff on February 4th.
The teenager – accompanied to court by his parents – is accused of the theft of the same Kia Ceed from Main Street Tulla a short time before the alleged arson on the same date.
Giving an outline of the State case against the teenager Det Sgt Stack said that the accused and another juvenile’s ‘spree’ started when they attended a house party in Tulla on February 3rd and took the car keys from the pocket of the owner of a Kia Ceed who was asleep at the time.
Det Sgt Stack said that the two took the car and drove it to Fossabeg where they attempted to set the car on fire.
Det Sgt Stack stated that there was some fire damage to the car and it was not written off.
He said that later in the night, the two teenagers entered a home at Church Street, Scariff where they took the car-keys of a Hyundai and took the car and drove it to Gort.
Det Sgt Stack said while parked at an Aldi car park in Gort at around 3am Gardai identified the accused as sitting in the driver’s seat of the car.
Det Sgt Stack said that the accused’s accomplice ran off and waded across a nearby river in the chance while the accused also escaped and committed a number of further offences over the next number of hours.
He said that the accused later entered a dry cleaner’s in Gort and with the owner present took keys of her Hyundai Tucson that were left on an ironing board.
Det Sgt Stack said that the accused took off and the car was later found abandoned on Crowe Street Gort and there was no damage done to that car.
A short time later, the teenager went to a garage at Gallagher’s Lane, Glenbrook Gort and there was a Toyota Landcruiser parked at the front of the garage and the accused took that car.
Det Sgt Stack said that the vehicle was recovered later near Gort with no damage done and the accused was apprehended a short time later.
Det Sgt Stack told the court that the DPP has directed that the case proceed on indictment to the circuit court.
However, Judge Adrian Harris ordered that the case remain before the children’s court in the district court after hearing the outline of the facts.
Judge Harris remanded the accused on bail to re-appear before court later this month for the accused to enter a guilty plea or seek a hearing date to contest the charges.
