Paul is 10 years old. He was first arrested two years ago on St Patrick's Day after being found waving a knife on the main street of his home town. At six years of age he tried to set the family home on fire. Last month he was suspended from school for headbutting a teacher.
One garda familiar with the family says he believes Paul's behaviour could lead him to commit murder one day. His mother Ann does not know where to turn to. She is as desperate as her youngest son is angry. "Every day he gets angrier and angrier. He used to carry weapons and thinks he lives in a violent world. He is talking about suicide and how he will die. He's also threatened to stab his family."
Ann is a widow in her early 40s and has five older children. Three still live at home. She gets up at 4 a.m. and starts her cleaning work at 5 a.m. She struggles for her family and, except for Paul, she is pleased at how they are all doing in life.
Two years ago, after she was prosecuted for Paul's non-attendance at school, the local District Court ordered he be assessed and that the Departments of Education and Social Affairs examine his needs.
It was the first positive action anyone had taken to care for him and he was provided with a teacher and got one-to-one attention at school. Last month Ann had to take him out of school after he head-butted his teacher. He verbally abused other teachers and pupils. "The staff are not paid to be treated like that," she says.
It was only when the District Court made its ruling that Paul was diagnosed as suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. He refused Ritalin and the tablets had to be taken from the house in case he took an overdose.
Ann may feel her nerves are about to give in but she is also aware of the intense support her son needs and the potential danger he poses to her and other people. "When he is angry I have to hold him and console him." Are you frightened of him? I ask her. "The way he is heading, yes."
Ann has never seen a report or assessment of her son. All she knows is what she heard at case conferences. "I have been told there is nowhere in Ireland for him. A place was found in Offaly but they wouldn't take him because he was too disturbed."
Ann lives with Paul's disruptive behaviour everyday. He breaks windows, has pulled a knife on an elderly woman and she thinks he is now smoking cannabis. He refuses to stay in at night and can be found hanging around the streets with 14 and 15-year-old boys. She believes they will lead him into full-time crime.
Already he is showing signs of being sexually advanced for his age. Her daughter-in-law, Jane, is also worried at this. "My daughter was five and stayed overnight with Ann. She came home and said she did not like the way Uncle Paul was trying to kiss her, that was two years ago when he was eight years old."
Ann and her family believe that if the health board had correctly diagnosed and treated Paul when they first met him four years ago that he would not have progressed to the volatile stage he is now at.
"If social workers can be sent into a house at midnight to take away children at risk, why can something not be done for Paul?" Jane asks.
She is now worried about Ann's health and how much more she can take. They all hope it is not too late to save a child from what appears to be an inevitable road into violent crime.
The local health board were contacted and said it would not comment on an individual case.
All names have been changed to protect their identity