A teenager was forced to take part in a spate of burglaries after he was pressurised by his alcoholic father, a court heard yesterday.
The now 16-year-old boy had been involved in two burglaries, one of a house in Leixlip, Co Dublin, last February, and the other of a house in Kilkenny in late 2002, the Dublin Children's Court heard.
The boy was 14-years-old when his father made him commit the first burglary.
He had admitted these offences as well as another charge for obstructing a garda in Clondalkin, Dublin, on December 21st last.
The court was told that the boy had been pressurised by his father to carry out the robberies. The father would park his van outside the target house and send his son in to steal property, Judge Mary Collins was told.
The boy had also obstructed a garda who had been trying to execute a bench warrant after he failed to appear in court.
In an effort to escape, the boy reversed a car away from the garda and knocked him over in the process.
After noting the mitigating circumstances, Judge Collins bound the teenager to the peace to be of good behaviour for one year on the burglary charges.
She imposed a three-month suspended sentence for his obstruction of the garda.