Courts / Dublin / Report

Issue of unenforceable supervision orders for juvenile offenders needs to addressed urgently by Oireachtas, judge says

Summary

In an appeal-stage report, Judge Pauline Codd sentenced a 16-year-old boy to a three-year period of detention for violent disorder and a concurrent two-year period for assault causing harm. The boy pleaded guilty to these charges following an unprovoked attack on four English tourists in Dublin's Temple Bar in August 2023. Prosecution evidence alleged the teenager punched a victim, dragged another to the ground, and stamped on the head of a third man who was already on the ground. The court heard the defendant has 18 previous convictions, including six for assault causing harm. While imposing the sentences, Judge Codd stated that if the offender were an adult, she would have imposed six years for violent disorder and four years for assault causing harm. She directed that the boy receive credit for time already in custody on a separate matter. The judge also highlighted a legislative gap, noting that supervision orders for juveniles become unenforceable once they turn 18, leaving the court's hands "effectively tied." She urged the Oireachtas to address this issue urgently and suggested the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions take it up. Defence counsel noted the boy was in State care, diagnosed with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and had been clean from cannabis. The matter was not adjourned; the sentences were handed down.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Issue of unenforceable supervision orders for juvenile offenders needs to addressed urgently by Oireachtas, judge says. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• August 11, 2023 Incident
• 2024-03-20 Publication

Why: The boy, who cannot be named because he is a child, was handed a three-year period of detention after pleading guilty to assault causing harm and violent disorder. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report