A 16-year-old repeat offender has been sentenced to two years in St Patrick's Institution and banned from driving for 15 years, for a series of vehicle offences and the theft of gold chains.
Judge Bryan Smyth heard at the Dublin Children's Court yesterday he had pleaded guilty to 13 charges of unlawfully taking a car and road traffic offences. The teenager, now legally prohibited from driving a car until he is aged 31, had 30 previous convictions.
Last March, while on a visit to Bray, Co Wicklow, he was involved in the theft of three gold chains valued at €964 from the Arcade jewellers.
He had been stopped driving a stolen car last November.
The offences before the court took place during an eight-month period. The teenager had already been convicted for a number of so-called joy-riding, dangerous driving and public order offences.
In January 2002, he was sent to Oberstown Boys Centre for a month and last April he was detained there again for another four weeks.
On July 29th, he had been given a two-year suspended sentence for a spate of vehicle crimes.
However, a month-and-a-half later, he was arrested for unlawfully using a stolen car in Tallaght. He pleaded guilty to all of the offences yesterday and, after lengthy consideration, Judge Smyth imposed the two-year sentence and driving ban.
He consented to an appeal for bail but only on condition that the teenager enter into his own bond of €200, plus an independent surety of €7,500.