Fugitive teen still at large after breaking out of Oberstown

A youth facing a litany of charges remains at large after escaping from a Dublin detention centre last month, a court was told on Tuesday.

He was one of four teenagers who managed to abscond from the the Oberstown youth detention facility in Lusk on July 25th and the only one to evade capture.

The 17-year-old boy faces 11 charges and has been accused of criminal damage , two counts of motor theft, interfering with a vehicle on two dates, two counts of skipping court, possessing vice grips and a metal bar for use in a theft offence, and trespassing.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred in residential areas in north Dublin on dates from February 2nd until June 19th.

He had been denied bail in June and remanded in custody. He was due to appear again at the Dublin Children's Court on Tuesday but Garda David McKenna told Judge James Faughnan that the teenager had escaped just over three weeks ago.

He said there have been sightings of the boy at locations in Dublin but “he is evading gardaí”. Judge Faughnan issued a bench warrant for the boy’s arrest.

The boy, is accused of failing to turn up to court on two dates, trespassing with intent to commit an offence and interfering with a motor vehicle at the Shanliss Road, Santry, D9, on a date in February; motor theft in Swords in north Dublin on June 9, stealing another vehicle in Swords a day later when it is also alleged he had vice grips as an implement.

The teenage fugitive is charged with criminal damage to two cars at St Cronan’s Court, Swords, in north Dublin, unlawfully interfering with two vehicles, trespassing and having a metal bar as an implement to commit theft in the early hours of June 19th last.

It was after the latest charges were brought that he was denied bail and sent to the Oberstown facility which can hold up to 48 boys and is frequently operating to full capacity.

At his hearing on the afternoon of June 19th, he was battered and bruised in court with dried blood on his face and a cut lip. He was also bleeding from his mouth and with a swollen, discoloured right cheek and eye.

Gardaí and residents pursued him and he allegedly ran to the back of a house; he was found hiding in a bush and residents from the area got to him first, the court had heard.

The court also heard the teenager allegedly said he knew who had beaten him up, and gardaí feared he will interfere with witnesses.

Counsel defending had said the boy vehemently denied these allegations and would claim that he had gone for a walk in the area after he had a row with his father and he was attacked by a group of people.