Teen who went on three-hour crime spree across Carlow in stolen car is jailed
Carlow courthouse Photo: Michael O'Rourke
A TEENAGER who went on a three-hour crime spree in a stolen car – burgling a home, ramming a GAA club door and driving off without paying for fuel – has been sentenced to 36 months in jail, with 12 months suspended.
The defendant, who was 17 at the time of the offences and cannot be named as he was a juvenile, appeared before Judge Mary Morrissey at Carlow Circuit Court for finalisation of the case.
The court heard that on 17 September 2024, a grey Mazda, which had been taken unlawfully, was used in a string of incidents across the county. At 3.42am, a burglary was carried out when a male gained entry to a domestic residence in Killerig, Carlow, stealing €200 in cash and €100 worth of alcohol.
At 4.16am, the same Mazda entered the grounds of Palatine GAA Club and eight minutes later the car was seen ramming the club’s door, which fell off as a result. At 4.46am, the vehicle pulled into a Circle K petrol station, where the accused filled it with €51.39 worth of fuel before he and an accomplice went into the shop without paying. There was also an attempted burglary at Spellbound Nails in Rathvilly, where an effort to break in failed but caused damage to a door.
Gardaí at Tallaght Garda Station identified the youth, who was arrested and detained. The court heard that although he was “very respectful” when arrested, he “gave nothing of probative value” when questioned and has a significant number of previous convictions.
Judge Morrissey noted that the “vast majority are of significance, being theft related” and that the defendant was on bail at the time of the offences. The court heard that the young men “operated as a joint enterprise, with the defendant driving the car”.
The judge said the burglary, attempted theft and theft had occurred over a three-hour period, targeting one residential dwelling that was occupied at the time, with a number of items taken and not returned.
“There are multiple victims in this matter,” she said, adding that although they had chosen not to provide victim impact statements, “these are not victimless crimes”. She said “a significant level of preplanning and premeditation” had been involved.
Relevant previous convictions include four for burglary, four for theft, two for the unauthorised taking of a vehicle and one for possession of stolen property.
In mitigation, along with an early guilty plea, the judge noted that the defendant “had a very difficult upbringing”. His father died when he was two and his mother subjected him to emotional and physical violence, the effect of which is that he “finds it difficult to react appropriately”.
A probation report said he had begun experimenting with drugs and fell in with the wrong peer group. The report noted he was of above average intelligence and had been a good student, despite considerable periods of absence, and that he had been ‘exposed to suicidal ideation and experienced physical and emotional abuse as punishment from his mother’.
During his time in juvenile detention, he completed a drugs prevention safe pass course, a first aid manual handling course and an anger management programme. He has since been transferred to adult prison, where he started an apprenticeship and, according to his psychiatrist, ‘thrives in a structured environment’.
The report said he was ‘naïve’ in thinking he would be safe in adult prison and was ‘likely to be injured’ because he invited conflict and that a safe home environment would be preferable. The defendant has symptoms of PTSD, high scores for anger and dissociates, the court heard. ‘He is not motivated to stop his offending behaviour … he gains self-worth by engaging in criminal behaviour,’ the report noted.
The youth was convicted on four counts – burglary, theft, ramming the car into the door at Palatine GAA Club and stealing fuel – and was sentenced to 36 months, 33 months, 30 months and ten months, respectively, to run concurrently, to be served after his current sentence concludes.
Judge Morrissey suspended 12 months of the sentence for a period of two years, on condition that the defendant enter a €100 bond, be of good behaviour and engage with probation services, therapeutic interventions, mental health services, addiction services, drug screening and associated services.
