Teenage girl remanded on ATM theft charges
A 14-year-old girl, who is facing 12 charges over an alleged bank machine scam, has been remanded on continuing bail pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
It is alleged that she netted more than €2,000 from the thefts.
The Romanian girl, who is residing in west Dublin, arrived in Ireland in February and has since been the subject of a number of arrests for stealing money, €200 in all instances, from people at ATMs.
Earlier she had been charged at the Dublin Children’s Court with 12 counts of theft of €200 from people at ATMs in Dublin city centre.
The first set of alleged offences happened at bank machines on O’Connell Street, Grafton Street and at Stephen’s Green, between February 20 and March 10 last, with two of them allegedly taking place on the same day.
Later the girl was further charged with theft of €200 from three people at ATMs, on the same day, May 16 last, which was when she was on bail for the other offences.
Two of these incidents are alleged to have happened at Baggott Street, in Dublin 2 and the third at Merrion Road also in Dublin 2.
The young girl has been given bail with strict conditions stating that she “must not loiter near any ATM and not enter the Dublin 1 or Dublin 2 areas”.
She has also been subject to a further bail condition compelling her to obey a curfew to be indoors at her home between the hours of 8pm to 8am daily.
Judge Bryan Smyth today agreed to a prosecution request to adjourn the girl’s case for a further two weeks pending the DPP’s directions. The bail conditions were also continued.
Judge Smyth heard that the girl, who was accompanied to court by her father, was aged 13 at the time of the alleged thefts.
