A teenager charged with attacking a 60-year-old woman in an incident in which she was punched in the face, banged against a wall and had hair torn from her head, has been remanded on bail to allow him to consider his plea.
The Dublin Children's Court was told that the teenager (16) had been charged under Section 3 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act for an assault causing harm on the woman. Garda John McNamara, Swords station, told Judge Thomas Fitzpatrick the victim had been assaulted on a street in Swords at 7 a.m. on November 23rd last as she was going to work.
The judge reluctantly accepted jurisdiction to hear the case in the Children's Court.
After hearing an outline of the allegations and from reading a medical report on the victim's condition, Judge Fitzpatrick said the woman had recovered from her physical injuries, although she did suffer emotional trauma.
He said the matter of jurisdiction to hear the case needed to be considered, even though the DPP had directed that it should be dealt with summarily in the Children's Court.
Judge Fitzpatrick said that in the most serious crimes, the DPP had made such directions, for reasons beyond his comprehension.
If convicted the boy would get a more severe sentence in the Circuit Court than the maximum 12- month sentence that would be handed down in the Children's Court, he said.
After giving the matter consideration and in view of the victim's recovery he told the court that jurisdiction to hear the case in the Children's Court was accepted. "Reluctantly," he added.
The case was adjourned to allow the boy to indicate a plea and he was remanded on bail until March 20th next. The judge ordered the furnishing of all statements and documents pertaining to the case to be furnished to the teenager's solicitor.