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Teen gets four years over violent escape from Oberstown
Summary
A 19-year-old man from Strokestown, County Longford, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for violent offences committed during an escape from Oberstown Children's Detention Campus in Lusk, County Dublin, on 29 May 2017. Michael Ward pleaded guilty to criminal damage, assault causing harm, and assault while attempting to commit theft. During the incident, Ward struck the campus director with a metal bar, causing bleeding, and caused extensive damage to the facility estimated at €17,135. He and other detainees barricaded themselves in an office, armed themselves with metal fixtures, and used an angle grinder to breach the campus perimeter fence. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed concurrent sentences of four years for assault and five years for criminal damage, suspending the final 12 months of both terms. She considered Ward's early guilty plea, efforts at rehabilitation, youth, and apology. Ward is currently serving an earlier four-year sentence, with 12 months suspended, for separate criminal damage offences at Oberstown.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Teen gets four years over violent escape from Oberstown. Charges or matters: criminal damage, assault causing harm and assault while attempting to commit theft at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus, Lusk, Co Dublin, on May 29, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 29, 2017 Incident
- 2019-03-22 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: criminal damage, assault causing harm and assault while attempting to commit theft at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus, Lusk, Co Dublin, on May 29, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Ward is currently serving a four-year sentence, with the final 12 months suspended, for offences of criminal damage also committed at Oberstown. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a four-year sentence for the assaults and a concurrent sentence of five years for the damage.
Places mentioned
- Strokestown
- Strokestown Road
- Longford
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime
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