Two Dublin teenagers have pleaded not guilty to violent disorder during an incident which resulted in a teenage girl being knocked "head first" under a Dart train.
CCTV footage emerged of a 17-year-old girl at Howth Junction station falling between the platform and a stationary train on April 1st, 2021. She was helped back onto the platform by her friends and staff.
Gardaí charged three youths, all 17-years-old, with violent disorder. One of the teenagers had an additional charge for assault causing harm to the girl.
Last month at the Children’s Court in Dublin, Judge Paul Kelly held that two of the boys had a peripheral role and accepted jurisdiction in their cases.
However, the third boy with the extra charge, he said, lunged at the girl with "devastating consequences". He held this teen should be tried in the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.
Adjournment
The case was back before Judge Kelly following a four-week adjournment.
The judge acceded to State solicitor Anna Bridgeman's request to grant more time to complete a book of evidence for the boy facing the more serious allegations, who was ordered to return in two weeks.
His two co-defendants, who had lesser roles in the incident, pleaded not guilty and will face their Children's Court hearing in May.
Earlier, Judge Kelly watched the video footage and heard an outline of the allegations from Garda Kevin O’Boyle.
Gda O'Boyle told the court that 10-15 youths “shouting and roaring” caused a disturbance on the train and security officers were preventing them from re-entering the carriages.
As a group of six girls ran onto the platform to catch the Dart, one of the boys swung his foot at a girl from his bike, making contact with her face.
One boy with a bicycle was accused of using the handlebars to lunge at a second girl, striking her knee, and "as a result, she fell down off the platform head first".
The court heard an OCS security man raised the alarm with the train driver and pulled the girl from under the train, back onto the platform.
She had a cut knee, a bad cut and bruise on her back and was visibly distressed. The court was told she was in her final year of secondary school at the time and was already suffering with anxiety.
The garda added that the girl is on medication and “going through a difficult time”.
The court was told the group of youths were not known to the victim.
The youths have been ordered to obey bail conditions.
