Youth who brandished blade at schoolboys during Dodder mugging spared criminal record

A youth who brandished a Stanley blade at two primary schoolboys during a mugging on the Dodder Walkway in Dublin has been spared a criminal record and a sentence.

The 16-year-old boy received the Probation Act after the Dublin Children’s Court heard he was “on the straight and narrow” and had successfully completed a restorative justice crime diversion programme.

Judge John O’Connor said the boy, who had also impressed the victims’ parents, had made “significant progress”, and the Probation Service believed there was no risk he would reoffend. He had written letters of apology, paid compensation and is taking part in an educational course.

Det Garda Bryan Hunt also confirmed that the boy has not come to their further notice.

The victims and their families were satisfied with the way the court has dealt with the boy and that “he is on the straight and narrow”, said Det Garda Hunt. The investigating detective also said the boy was “led by an older co-accused” who is before the adult courts.

As he applied the Probation Act, Judge John O’Connor told the boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother, “I mean this in a nice way, I hope never to see you in court again”, adding, at the outcome of the case, that “it has been very positive all round”.

Earlier the court had heard that the sixth-class primary school pupils were held up at knife-point by two people at the Dodder Walkway in Irishtown, Dublin, on May 19th last.

The 16-year-old boy pleaded guilty to robbery of one of the boys who had his phone worth €150 stolen. The youth, who had no prior criminal convictions, also pleaded guilty to connected charges for producing the blade during the course of a robbery and attempted robbery.

Judge O’Connor had also heard at an early stage in the case that the youth was remorseful.