A Dublin teenager drove after a cyclist who made an offensive hand gesture at him and stole his bicycle, a court has heard.
The 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children's Court to dangerous driving in a manner including speeding and theft of the man's bicycle in connection with the incident in Clondalkin last March.
The court heard it happened following an earlier incident in which the cyclist allegedly made a gesture to the teenager who was in car.
After the man on the bike raised his middle finger at him, the youth started driving behind him in an “intimidating manner”, the court was told.
The cyclist became nervous and went on to a footpath. The teenager also drove the car on to the path and followed him for a distance.
The man on the bike turned into a housing estate to hide and was followed.
The teenager stole his bicycle and left the scene but was arrested within minutes, the court heard.
The youth, who was accompanied to his hearing by his mother and solicitor, had no prior criminal convictions.
Judge John O’Connor adjourned the case until a date in November for a pre-sentence probation report to be furnished to the court.