Courts / Dublin / Report
Teen dad made hoax bomb call because he found public phone boxes "unusual", court hears
Summary
Stephen McKeever, an 18‑year‑old teenager, called the local Garda station from a public phone box on Tyrconnell Road, claiming a bomb had been planted at his friend's house on Thomas Davis Street, Inchicore. The call was made out of curiosity about the phone boxes and a mischief motive, not malice. Garda Shane Cahill dispatched eight officers to investigate; after a thorough search, the house was cleared as a hoax. McKeever pleaded guilty to knowingly making a false report on 13 December 2015. He has 14 prior convictions for assault, theft and handling stolen property, all dealt with in the District Court. Judge Melanie Greally, noting his status as a father to a three‑month‑old baby and his lack of recent offences, sentenced him to two‑and‑a‑half years in prison, suspended in full on strict conditions, including 12 months of engagement with the Probation Service.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Teen dad made hoax bomb call because he found public phone boxes "unusual", court hears. Charges or matters: knowingly making a false report at Tyrconnell Road, Inchicore on December 13, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 13, 2015 Incident
- 2017-03-06 Publication
Why: A teenager who phoned in a hoax bomb to his local garda station because he was "curious" about public phone boxes has avoided a jail term. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: knowingly making a false report at Tyrconnell Road, Inchicore on December 13, 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Greally sentenced McKeever to two-and-a-half years in prison but suspended it in full on strict conditions including that he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months.
Places mentioned
- bomb to his local garda station
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Thomas Davis Street
- Tyrconnell Road
- Knocknarea Avenue
- Tyrconnell Road
Topics
Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime
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