A 12-year-old boy stole a motorcycle from a Garda station and later "slagged" gardaí about it, a court has heard. The boy, who is now 13, was before the Dublin Children's Court charged with unlawfully taking the motorbike from Tallaght station last April. He was also charged with connected offences for driving without a licence or insurance.
He faced a hearing yesterday to determine whether he understood what a crime was because he is under 14.
Garda Ciarán Loughrey told Judge William Early that he was going into the station when he saw two boys wheeling the motorbike, which had been taken from another person earlier that day under the Road Traffic Act. It was placed in a private yard at the back of Tallaght station.
"He started it and tried to drive but it cut out. He restarted it and drove, with the other boy on the back, to the car park in the Square shopping centre."
Garda Loughrey said he had been chasing the boy and calling on him to stop but he refused. The boy lost control of the motorbike, crashed and was arrested.
A few weeks later, as he was on patrol in Tallaght, he came across the boy. The boy approached the stationary patrol car, leaned in an open window and mocked the garda, saying: "The only reason you caught me was because I crashed, you're too slow."
Judge Early held that the boy understood that the act was a criminal offence. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded on bail pending a hearing in October.