A homeless boy, who was arrested for stealing a sandwich, left home when he was 13 to escape his mother's violent partner. He then ended up on the streets where he started taking heroin, a court heard yesterday.
The boy (16) had been arrested for a number of theft offences over recent months, Judge Mary Collins heard at the Dublin Children's Court.
On June 12th the boy was arrested for stealing a sandwich from a shop; on June 3rd he was involved in a mobile phone snatch; and on April 27th he had attempted to steal a man's rucksack.
Defence solicitor Ms Sarah Molloy told Judge Collins the boy had been driven from home as a result of his mother's violent partner and became addicted to heroin.
Ms Molloy said the boy was then put in a detention centre on foot of a High Court order. When he was released he was put into a care home, but had to leave because he had started to abuse heroin again.
Judge Collins imposed a suspended sentence and ordered that the case be brought back to court every three weeks so the boy's progress and efforts to quit heroin could be monitored.