Teenager who kept set of house keys to gain access 'later' remanded in custody

The boy was charged at the Children’s Court with possessing the house keys taken in a car hijacking, and a driver’s licence and a wallet stolen during a separate incident, on December 12 last at his home, a flat complex gardens in the south inner city part of Dublin.

Objecting to bail, Garda Fiona Morrison of Kevin Street station told Judge Smyth that, following a search of the teen’s home, he “was discovered in possession of house keys taken in a hi-jacking the night previously”.

“He had retained them to gain access later into the house,” she said.

She also said that the teenager matched a description given the gardaí of the hijacker and a file was being sent to the DPP on the investigation.

The wallet and driver’s licence were taken during the course of a separate motor theft, Judge Smyth heard.

The teenager, who was accompanied by his mother, was currently on bail in relation to two burglary allegations, the court was also told.

Defence solicitor Ms Eileen McCabe said she was instructed to make a bail application. She said that the teenage boy sometimes slept in the room the items were allegedly recovered from, but he had spent a period in custody recently during which time “other people used the room”.

She said that he was adhering to bail conditions on the separate on-going cases.

Judge Smyth said he was remanding the teenager in custody with consent to bail with a €500 cash lodgement. He stipulated that should the boy take up the bail he would have to sign on daily at his local Garda station, reside at his family house, and obey a curfew to be in his home between 9pm and 7am.

The teenager was remanded to appear again next week.

Ms McCabe pleaded with the court to reduce the bail money saying the boy’s mother was on lone parents’ allowance and had other children.

“Given the season it will be difficult for her to make that,” she said, however, Judge Smyth refused to change the terms of the bail.