17-year-old boy remanded on bail over serious harm charge

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A 17-year-old boy was remanded on bail at Dublin Children’s Court on 15 January 2018 after facing a charge of causing serious harm. The charge relates to an alleged fight at Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green in August 2016, in which another youth lost sight in one eye.

The court held a preliminary hearing to decide whether the case should remain in the Children’s Court or proceed to a higher court with greater sentencing powers. Judge John O’Connor ruled that the case was too serious for the Children’s Court to accept jurisdiction, despite submissions about the boy’s age, maturity, remorse and lack of previous convictions.

He was ordered to appear again in six weeks, when he is expected to be served with a book of evidence and returned for trial to the higher court.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.