Second youth given probation over Dart station incident in which girl was knocked under train

A second Dublin youth has been spared a custodial sentence in relation to an incident last year in which a teenage girl was knocked head-first under a stationary Dart train at Howth Junction.

The teenager, who was part of a group of about 10 youths put off a train by security officers due to anti-social behaviour, was released on six months’ supervised probation on Tuesday.

CCTV footage of the incident showed the 17-year-old girl falling between the platform and train on April 1st last year. She was aided back onto the platform by friends and staff, the Dublin Children’s Court heard.

Months later, gardaí charged three youths aged 17 with violent disorder. One faced an additional charge for assaulting the girl knocked under the train; his case has been separated and sent to the Circuit Court for trial.

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Judge Paul Kelly held the two other boys had peripheral roles, and their cases remained in the Children’s Court. They had no prior criminal convictions and pleaded not guilty but were convicted after a hearing in May.

The prosecution had video footage from the station’s CCTV system, a security guard’s body cam, and evidence from a second teenage girl who interacted with the group.

The accused, then aged 16, swung his foot at a girl from his bike, making contact with her head. She described it as “daunting”, and said “one of them lunged at me”, but she was not injured.

That was seconds before a related incident where the other teenage girl was knocked head-first from the platform.

State solicitor Mairead White submitted that the evidence supported the violent disorder charge and established the youths acted together in a “joint enterprise”.

Judge Kelly noted the threat of violence, lunging, an attempt to “body-check”, and the making of various gestures.

The Probation Service furnished a pre-sentence on Tuesday. It recommended placing the teenager on probation for 12 months.

Defence counsel Doireann McDonagh told Judge Kelly her client, now 18, was amenable to the terms.

Judge Kelly noted “excellent engagement” by the teen with a community programme helping youths.

The judge accepted that the teen had demonstrated understanding of the fear he caused during the incident.

Sparing him a custodial sentence, he placed him on supervised probation for six months. Last month, the other boy convicted in the Children’s Court received a similar sanction.