Teenager who possessed illegal air rifle is remanded on bail pending sentence
A south Dublin teenage boy, who shot himself in the hand while taking part in target practice with an illegal air rifle which fires lead pellets, has been remanded on bail pending sentence.
The 17-year-old boy, who has 26 prior convictions, pleaded guilty today at the Children’s Court to possessing the air rifle and 0.17-inch calibre lead pellets, contrary to the Firearms Act, at Lambay Drive, in Ballybrack, in Dublin, in July 2007. He also admitted using a stolen motorcycle on May 25 last year.
Judge Aeneus McCarthy was told that gardaí responded to reports of youths being seen carrying a rifle.
Garda Ciara McNulty said that the boy and two others were stopped and searched. A tin of led pellets was recovered and a further search of the area led to the rifle being found.
A ballistics report was handed in to the judge showing that that rifle fired lead pellets.
The court was told that, soon after his arrest, the teenager had to be taken to hospital “where it was found that there was a lead pellet lodged is his hand”.
Garda McNulty agreed with defence solicitor Ms Eileen McCabe that the teen had not been the “main motivator”. He had taken a turn of the rifle from another individual and was “doing target practice on bottles”.
The boy was arrested for the later motor theft offence after he was seen bringing a stolen motorcycle into his home.
Judge McCarthy noted that the teenager had not come to negative Garda attention in recent months.
Ms McCabe said the boy, who was accompanied to court by his that, had a troubled family background.
The boy’s parents had separated and, though he lived with his mother, he was accompanied to court by his father. Ms McCabe added that “there are on-going difficulties at home”.
A HSE welfare report was furnished to the judge by Ms McCabe who went on to say that her client had resumed his education and was no longer abusing alcohol which had led to him getting into trouble.
The court heard that the teen’s criminal record which began in September 2005, when he was aged 14, consisted of motor theft, illegal driving, criminal damage, burglary, robbery and Public Order Act offences.
He had been given suspended sentences on previous occasions by the court, which Judge McCarthy noted.
He said that the boy had been “socialised to accept various social norms, changing that will not be an easy task”.
However, he went on to say that he noted that the boy had pleaded guilty and positive Garda reports about his recent behaviour.
He said it would be in the public interest if the boy “could be rehabilitated rather than incarcerated”. He said he was giving the teen “an opportunity to do that” and adjourned sentencing until next month to allow time for a probation report to be furnished.
However, he warned the boy, who is on bail, that he was on “his last chance”.
