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Men due in court after Larne service station incident

Linda Stewart — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 09:04:35 +0000

Two men are due in court next month following an incident at a service station in the Larne area on Wednesday August 25.

Police officers received a report that a van had made off from a forecourt in the region without attempting to pay for fuel.

Posting on social media, a spokesperson for the NI Road Policing and Safety unit said: “The fact the occupants had taken steps to cover the numberplates on the vehicle showed their intent.

“The vehicle was stopped by officers from ANPR Intercept Team in the Police Newry, Mourne and Down area. As a result of the stop, two males were arrested for a number of offences including theft, going equipped to steal, disqualified driving and no insurance. One of the males was also wanted on warrant.”

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police in Larne have charged a 29-year-old man with theft, and a 22-year-old man with theft, going equipped for theft, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.

“Both men are due to appear before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 19.

“As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

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Shop worker ‘left with swollen ear after attack’

Linda Stewart — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 08:58:47 +0000

A young man has been accused of punching a shop worker in the head, leaving him with facial bruising and a swollen ear.

Blanchardstown District Court heard the incident was alleged to have happened at Maxol, Longmile Road, Drimnagh on April 14 this year.

James Donegan (29) had his case adjourned to give him time to consider how he intends to plead.

Mr Donegan, with an address at Deerpark House, Tyrone Court, Dublin 8 is charged with assault causing harm to the man.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan said it was alleged that the accused was at the shop when he assaulted a staff member by punching him twice to the head.

The victim suffered a swollen ear, a badly bruised and swollen eye and required medical attention as a result of the incident.

He was discharged from hospital on the same day but had to take some time off work, the court heard. A medical report on the victim’s injuries was submitted to the court.

The DPP consented to the case being dealt with in the district court subject to a judge considering the issue of jurisdiction.

Judge Gerard Jones accepted jurisdiction for the case to remain in the district court.

He ordered disclosure of prosecution evidence and remanded the accused on continuing bail. The judge told defence barrister Ciaran MacLoughlin he would grant free legal aid if Mr Donegan produced a payslip.

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Dublin boy involved in drive-off thefts from petrol stations has sentence deferred

Linda Stewart — Thu, 19 May 2022 08:18:50 +0000

A Dublin boy who pleaded guilty to burglary, dangerous driving and a litany of “drive off” thefts from petrol stations over the past four years has had his sentence deferred.

The boy, now 17 and who cannot be named as he is a minor, has been placed on probation and has had a custodial sentence deferred.

Garda Subomi Etti told Dublin Children’s Court the teenager, then aged 13, and another older youth were involved in a break-in to an engineering business on May 21st, 2018.

Garda Etti told Judge Paul Kelly they “wheeled out” a bin, containing €4,220 worth of copper wiring, from an engineering business on Ballycoolin Road in north Dublin, leaving the scene in a van driven by an unidentified man.

The teenager pleaded guilty to 20 other charges. One traffic pursuit in north Dublin on October 17th, 2021 led to seven counts of dangerous driving and charges for being uninsured, having no licence, and not giving gardaí his details. He also admitted nine “drive off” thefts from petrol stations in October and November 2021.

The boy had no prior criminal convictions but had previously spent a week in custody on remand for breaking bail terms.

The Probation Service furnished the court with a pre-sentence report on the boy.

Defence counsel Amy Deane asked the judge to note custody led to a “turnaround” for the boy, who then engaged with a bail support programme and earned a Safe Pass to look for work. The court heard he was also involved in sports and cared for animals.

Judge Kelly described the burglary as a “meticulously planned operation”, imposing a 12-month probation bond on the youth for that crime.

The judge warned the boy must continue to accept help to divert him from reoffending, desist from substance misuse, secure employment or training, and not reoffend.

He imposed sentences totalling 10 months for the other charges but deferred activating them pending a review of the case in November.

The boy, accompanied to court by his mother, was also banned from driving for four years.

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Girl admits robbing service station with duct tape gun

Linda Stewart — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 16:07:09 +0000

A 17-YEAR-old Dublin girl has pleaded guilty to carrying out an armed raid at a service station while brandishing an imitation gun made from duct tape.

The girl, who cannot be named because she is a minor, appeared at the Dublin Children’s Court in February.

She was charged with robbery of the Applegreen service station on Parnell Road, Dublin 12 of €179 in cash as well as €73 worth of cigarette papers on a date in January last year.

The teen faces an additional charge for producing an implement covered in black duct tape, shaped to look like a firearm, during the raid.

The second charge is contrary to the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.

The court heard she was aged 16 at the time and acted as an accomplice to an adult male accomplice who was also armed.

Judge Brendan Toale adjourned sentencing the girl for gardai to obtain victim impact statements from two shop workers.

The girl, accompanied to court by her mother, had no prior criminal convictions.

The judge described a pre-sentence probation report as “reasonably positive”.

Earlier, Detective Garda Eoin Hickey told the court the girl “made no reply to charge after caution”. There was no objection to bail. She met gardai at Crumlin station by appointment to get charged.

The Director of Public Prosecutions recommended the girl should face trial on indictment in the Circuit Court, which has more sentencing powers unless she pleaded guilty in the Children’s Court. The stolen property was recovered.

She cannot be named because she is a minor. Section 93 of the Children Act states news reports must not reveal details likely to lead to the identification of a child in the criminal proceedings.

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