A mother yesterday told the Dublin Children's Court that her 12-year-old son was "out of control", smoking hash and drinking alcohol, and she feared he would be killed because of the trouble he is causing.
The boy was brought before the court for criminally damaging a car on August 15th in the south inner city of Dublin.
Garda Alan Cummins of Kilmainham Garda station said that on his arrest the boy had told him he had a row with his mother and later, while in a temper, kicked the car.
Defence solicitor John Quinn told Judge Bridget Reilly that the boy's mother had serious concerns for her son. The boy's mother told the court: "Someone is going to kill him because of the trouble he is getting into. I've great fear for his life, he's getting up to too much.
"He's drinking, taking drugs, tablets, smoking hash, everything. It's ridiculous the way he's going on. He never listens to me and keeps saying 'I don't care'."
She added that her son, who sat on the other side of the courtroom, was "out of control", and had smashed up her home.
She also said he was refused a place in secondary education. The refusal came after the secondary school received reports about his behaviour from the primary school he had attended previously.
"When he is at home, every time my back is turned he's gone," she told the court.
Judge Reilly was told that a multi-disciplinary team of social workers would undertake a comprehensive behavioural assessment of the boy and then make recommendations.
The process would take four weeks.
Judge Reilly remanded him on bail and released him home to allow him to begin the assessment.