Two to go on trial over mugging after alleged Facebook identification

A boy and a girl, both aged 16, are charged with robbery in Balbriggan, Dublin, in 2015

Two teenagers will go on trial in November charged with taking part in the mugging of a woman in Dublin, after they were allegedly identified on Facebook.

A boy and a girl, both aged 16, are charged with robbery in Balbriggan on August 30th last year. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

They appeared at the Dublin Children’s Court on Monday, where Judge John O’Connor ordered that their trial would take place in mid-November.

The pair, who cannot be named because they are minors, remain on bail.

READ MORE

In an outline of the allegations for purpose of ruling on jurisdiction, Garda Kevin Fitzpatrick told the judge that the woman (31) was walking through a housing estate when she noticed a small group of teenagers behind her.

It was alleged that a girl asked the woman for a light, and as the woman turned around, the girl tried to grab her handbag from her shoulder.

It was alleged the boy was also present and grabbed the woman by her hair.

It was also alleged the woman was “punched several times in the head” by the boy during the ensuing struggle.

The court heard the woman’s claims that the boy also produced a knife and told her to “give me your money”.

Her bag, which contained €90, house keys and her bank cards, was allegedly taken during the incident.

Mr Fitzpatrick said the boy and his co-accused were identified via Facebook, where the woman allegedly saw photos of them, which she then showed to gardaí.

Jurisdiction

Defence counsel Damian McKeone pleaded with the judge to accept jurisdiction and not to send the case forward to the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.

He asked the judge to note the boy, who is taking part in an educational and training course, was aged 15 at the time of the incident.

The judge accepted jurisdiction but said that if the boy was aged 17 the case would be sent forward to the higher court.

Jurisdiction has also been accepted for the girl’s case.