Girl admits drink-fuelled attack in playground
A teenage girl has pleaded guilty to attacking a woman who was beaten up at a playground in a park in Dublin.
The girl (aged 17) has been charged at the Children's Court with assault causing harm to a woman (27), at Fairview Park, in north Dublin on the morning of March 21 last.
The court heard she attacked the woman following a drinking binge the night before and could not remember what she had done.
Garda Paul Maxwell told Judge Bryan Smyth that the defendant and a co-accused were trying to steal a mobile phone and “attacked a woman using closed fists.” He said an accomplice also hit the woman with a cup.
The victim suffered cuts to her face, Judge Bryan Smyth heard.
The court heard that the defendant, who was accompanied to her case by her mother and another relative, had drink and drug problems at the time of the attack.
Counsel said that the teen, “the evening before had been drinking heavily and was still intoxicated on the morning.”
The court heard that the girl had no recollection of the attack but was remorseful.
Since the incident, the girl has been staying at a residential centre for treatment troubled young people. Judge Smyth was told that the girl is taking part in training courses and agreeing to urine analysis which tests if she is still using drugs.
The court was also told that the teen's family has seen a huge improvement in the girl's behaviour after she accepted this help.
Judge Bryan Smyth noted that the girl had no prior convictions and consented to the case being adjourned for the Probation Service to establish if the girl is suitable for a family conference.
This involves a supervised “action plan” of restorative justice tasks which if carried out successfully over a period of six months will lead to the case being dismissed and the defendant being spared a criminal conviction.
The teen was remanded to appear again in four weeks to establish whether she would be suitable and if so for the action plan terms to be presented to the court.
A co-defendant who has pleaded not guilty to the charge is awaiting trial in the Children's Court on a date in November.
