Youth accused of €50,000 damage at Oberstown

Youths armed with metal poles and weights attacked staff and caused more than €26,000 worth of damage during one of a series of violent incidents at Oberstown young offenders centre.

A Children's Court judge has refused jurisdiction to hear the trial of a 17-year-old boy accused of assaulting a staff member and about €54,000 worth of criminal damage at the facility in Lusk in north Dublin.

The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, is accused of taking part violent incidents at the juvenile detention centre on four dates and faced  a preliminary hearing at the Dublin Children’s Court to decide his trial venue.

Judge John O’Connor said the case was too serious to accept jurisdiction and he held the youth must be tried in the the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.

The youth is charged with theft of a electronic security key fob, assaulting a male unit manager and criminal damage to security doors, a locking mechanism as well as glass security windows and a door on October 31st last year.

He is also accused of causing damage to furniture and electronic equipment including a CCTV camera at the juvenile detention centre on dates in January, February and September last year.

The court heard that the youth is still being held at the detention centre. The defence

The case was adjourned for a book of evidence to be prepared by the prosecution.