Gang threatened to cut woman and son’s fingers off, court hears

Armed raiders threatened to chop off a woman's fingers in front of her young son and told her they would do the same to the boy during a traumatising burglary, a court has heard.

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be identified because he is a juvenile, was refused bail today after he was charged in connection with the incident at a house in Citywest in west Dublin.

He is accused of aggravated burglary, at Belfry Green, on November 11th. He is also charged with unlawfully travelling as a passenger in a stolen vehicle on the same date.

Objecting to bail, Garda Kieran Kilcoyne told Judge John Coughlan at Dublin District Court that he was objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the offence and fears witnesses would be intimidated.

He told Judge Coughlan a woman in her mid-30s had been at home with her 10-year-old son when heard a loud bang outside her home at at 7.50am. She tried to hold her front door shut but five males gained entry and “overpowered” her.

“She was then dragged to the kitchen by two or three males who tried to tie her hands with cables ties, one took a meat cleaver, the second took a steak knife,” said Gda Kilcoyne.

He said the gang put her hand flat onto a counter and threatened to cut her fingers off while the “injured party’s son was in her arms”. They then threatened to do the same to the boy after which the woman and her son attempted to flee. The court heard the gang of burglars “dragged her back”.

Gda Kilcoyne described it as a “horrific ordeal of violence”.

They threatened to kill her and her son, or to take him away if she did not tell them where money was kept in the house.

A phone, an iPad, a laptop, a BMW car and €30,800 were taken during the incident, which lasted 20 minutes, the court heard. The car and the phone have been recovered.

Gda Kilcoyne said he feared witnesses would be intimidated.

“This is a complex investigation that might lead to further arrests,” the Garda said.

The accused was accompanied to a court by a relative and remained silent throughout the hearing. His counsel asked the judge to note that the boy had no previous convictions and his family could offer €500 cash bail.

Gda Kilcoyne said that when questioned, the boy admitted his role was to search the house while accomplices threatened the woman and her son.

However, the garda added: “I do not believe I am hearing the whole story.”

He also said the woman and child have been left “extremely traumatised”.

Judge Coughlan refused bail and remanded the teenager in custody to a juvenile detention centre. His next hearing will take place at the Dublin Children’s Court on Tuesday.

He had been arrested and charged yesterday after which he made no reply.

Another teenager boy who was arrested yesterday was released without charge.

A 17-year-old boy had been remanded in custody last week after he was charged with aggravated burglary and travelling in a stolen car in connection with the same incident. He has also been refused bail and will face his next hearing at Tallaght District Court next Friday.