The mother of a 12-year-old outlined her concerns for the boy
THE SMALL blonde boy walked into Dublin Children's Court, flanked by 11 gardaí and a juvenile liaison officer.
They were there to outline 18 charges against the boy. A further seven charges were referred to during the hearing.
The boy, from the north inner city, has just turned 12, but with his slight build he could pass for an eight-year-old. Dressed in a black shell suit, with a Manchester United logo, he showed no reaction as gardaí listed the charges.
His mother wept as the offences were read out. One garda told how the boy punched him in the mouth. Another said he stole five mobile phones on different occasions. In some cases, the victims were using the phones.
Several gardaí gave evidence of abusive behaviour towards them. Another garda told how he found the boy interfering with a car at a block of flats. In another case, he was a back-seat passenger in a stolen car.
A female garda told how she was cautioning a youth during a public order incident when the defendant kicked her on the leg. This caused her to release the youth who then fled. Another garda said he apprehended the boy last year and found he was carrying a bag of builders' tools worth €300.
His behaviour was becoming "steadily worse," said the boy's juvenile liaison officer, Sgt Barry Moore.
The distress of the boy's mother became more visible when the judge remanded him to Oberstown House for a week. Efforts would be made to find a more long-term, suitable placement. He asked that the health board representative attend next Monday's hearing.
The boy's mother hugged him tightly when the case finished. Afterwards, she said the court hearing had been "very hard". That was her second appearance in court that day. Earlier, her 14-year-old son had appeared on charges including larceny and public order offences. He was also remanded to a care facility.
She said she believed her older son had got into trouble because so much attention had been focused on the younger boy. The 12-year-old started to get into trouble when he was nine, she said. He lost his temper easily and refused to go to school. "There's no school. We've tried everything but he won't stay. He just runs out on us."
She said she believed there was a medical explanation for his behaviour. She would like him to be assessed while in a secure care facility. A doctor who previously examined him told her he had the mind of a five-year-old. "Please God they will find out if there is something wrong that would explain it," she said.
The woman grew upset when she thought of the effect of the boy's behaviour on her own mother, who had worried about him. "She's broken-hearted," she said. "I am too."
When his mother asks him why he's getting into trouble, he says he doesn't know. "He keeps saying: my head is wrecked, my head is wrecked."
Four girls were waiting to see the boy outside the court. One of them, wearing a school uniform, said she was his girlfriend. They warned the reporters not to take the boy's photograph and when an RTÉ camera man raised his camera to film the judge leaving the court, one girl became abusive and threatened him.
Inside, one garda told another to keep a close eye on the boy, who was waiting in a room with his mother before being taken away. "He knows his back is against the wall now, he might try do a runner," he advised.
"Is he in a cell? the other asked. "You can't put him in a cell," his colleague replied. "He's too small for that."