A BOY who helped to blow up a disused supermarket valued at £200,000 has been remanded in custody to St Michael's Assessment Centre in Finglas, Dublin.
Last March the boy, now 14, was given a choice by Judge Kieran O'Connor: "Become a model boy or serve three years' imprisonment." Yesterday, in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge O'Connor was told that the boy had got into more trouble while on bail for six months under strict conditions which included a 9 p.m. home curfew.
The boy replied "no" when asked by Judge O'Connor at the resumed hearing if he had listened to him in March. He pleaded guilty at that hearing to causing criminal damage to a site in Tallaght on May 5th, 1994, when be was 12. He cannot he named for legal reasons.
Evidence was given by Sgt Orla McPartlin that the defendant and two others lit a stolen gas cylinder and caused the explosion. The ringleader was an older youth who stole the cylinder. He had been given four years' detention for that and other offences in December 1995.
The updated probation report showed that the boy had been arrested in August by gardai in Blessington when found in a stolen car. He has since pleaded guilty in the District Court to that offence. The report also showed that he had been suspended from his school as a result of bad punctuality and attendance.
Sgt McPartlin told Mr Desmond Zaiden, prosecuting, that she had been instructed to seek a remand in custody for assessment.
Mr Dan Boland, defence counsel, said that the probation officer was concerned that the boy would meet undesirable elements in an institution. His school head said that, although he had been suspended, he was not the worst problem they had.
Mr Boland suggested a further adjournment of six weeks with a 7 p.m. curfew on six nights and a later curfew on one night in the week, with the defendant allowed out only in the company of an older brother, who was "most impressive".
Judge O'Connor told the defendant that he had treated him leniently, but he had let down the court and his parents, who the judge said were "terrific" in the interest they took in him.
He had considered jailing him, but he was very young. He asked the defendant if he wanted to become a criminal like most of the people who appeared before the court and spent half their lives behind bars.
"I am going to deprive you of your liberty for the next three weeks, during which you have to impress the people in St Michael's on why you should not be jailed", said Judge O'Connor.
At the previous hearing, Sgt McPartlin told Judge O'Connor that the boy's mother had insisted that she did not want the case dealt with under the Juvenile Liaison Scheme. She felt that if the case took its course through the courts her son would better understand its seriousness. Both parents took an interest in his welfare.