The parents of a teenager who is due before the Circuit Court on serious charges, possibly carrying a lengthy sentence, have been ordered to pay compensation on his behalf in relation to a separate incident, described as a drunken prank, in which he sprayed fire-extinguisher foam over a petrol station forecourt.
At Dublin Children's Court yesterday, Judge Geoffrey Browne was told that the 17-year-old boy had been in custody since last April. He was also told that the boy was due before the Circuit Court soon and could be facing a "lengthy sentence".
The boy was charged under sections four and six of the Public Order Act with being intoxicated to such an extent that he was a danger to himself and others and with engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, which he admitted.
Garda Damien Kirwan said that the boy was arrested at 3.25 a.m. on March 31st after he had caused a disturbance at a petrol station. Garda Kirwan said that he had been on patrol in the Crumlin area and was called to deal with a group of youths who were causing trouble at the Shell petrol station on Parnell Road.
The boy had taken a fire extinguisher from the petrol station and was spraying it around the forecourt. He was very drunk at the time and was shouting obscenities as he sprayed the area with foam.
The court was told that the boy had "no previous convictions on record". In mitigation, the boy's solicitor said that the incident was a drink-related prank which had got out of hand and the boy accepted that what he had done was wrong.
Judge Browne was told that the boy had been held in Clover Hill Prison for the past seven months and it was imagined that he would face a "lengthy sentence" arising from the Circuit Court case. Due to his detention, he could not pay any compensation.
Judge Browne said he wanted the garage owner to be compensated for the loss of the fire extinguisher and he ordered the boy's parents to pay €50 within the next three months. If the money was paid, their son would get the benefit of the Probation Act.