Nine months for boy who stole from home of sleeping mother

A teenage boy in care who stole from the home of a woman, while she and her two small children were sleeping, has been sentenced to nine months in custody and nine months on probation.

The boy, who had previously pleaded guilty to the burglary and other theft charges, had been found by gardaí on one occasion through a stolen phone’s tracker app; he was living in a tent behind a garage.

On Thursday, in courtroom 55, in the Dublin District Children's Court, Smithfield, the boy's story and the impact his crime had on one of his victims unfolded.

The 16-year-old sat to the right of Judge John O'Connor.. He leaned on his elbows on the long table he shared with solicitors and gardaí. His hands were clasped together and his chin rested on them, as the sentence hearing proceeded.

A garda reminded the judge of the charges against the boy, for which he was remanded in custody earlier this month.

Unlocked cars

Last September, the boy found unlocked cars and stole items including a camera and laptops from them. On September 6th, during the night, he entered the home of a woman in Bray, Co Wicklow, after noticing a key had been left in the front door. He stole her laptop from the kitchen, €500 from her purse and her keys, before going upstairs into her bedroom and stealing her phone. She and her two young children remained asleep.

All of the items stolen were recovered, except for the cash, the garda said.

In her victim impact statement, read into the record by a garda, the woman said her world had been turned upside down by the robbery.

She did not sleep for two weeks afterwards and worried about what might have happened if she or her children had woken. She felt her home had been invaded and she had failed to protect her children. Her property was taken for which she had worked so hard, as a single parent, she said, and it was “truly frightening and horrific” that the thief had taken her keys.

Domino effect

She could no longer live in the house and had to move to a smaller one, with higher rent. There had been a “domino effect” and it was one of the worst experiences of her life. “Yes, it has changed my view of Ireland,” she said.

Judge O’Connor read out the probation report on the boy. It said the Child and Family Agency was involved with his family since 2011 and the boy was taken into care last year, after the death of a family member in tragic circumstances.

He ran away from foster carers and was missing in care.

The probation officer said he had formed the impression the boy carried out the crimes to meet his basic needs. He also said the boy struggled since the death of the family member and there were concerns he misused tablets.

He had dropped out of secondary school but was going to school since being in custody, in a children’s detention centre. He had settled well, and his behaviour was “excellent”, but there were concerns about his mental health.

The boy’s solicitor said his client had got involved with “a very negative peer group”, and there was a belief he needed the money to live. He was also fully co-operative with gardaí.

The judge said it was tragic the boy had such a terrible youth, but his lifestyle was now “so pro-criminal” that something had to be done. He said he was not unconscious of the boy’s circumstances and hoped he would be successful in his school course.

The boy nodded his head at the judge and signed a form. He will appear in court again next month.