Laois youth caused €3.5k worth of damages to sprinkler system at local shopping centre
The youth appeared at a sitting of Portlaoise District Court last week
A 15-year-old Laois boy who caused €3,529.72 in damages to the fire sprinkler system in Laois Shopping Centre in Portlaoise was before the juvenile sitting of Portlaoise District Court last week.
Due to the youth’s age, he cannot be identified.
The court heard that on 4 October last year the youth threw a USB cable up the travelator that hit off the temperature system glass bulb sprinkler, smashed it and setting off sprinklers across the shopping centre, flooding the travelator.
The fire service had to be called, and major repairs had to be carried out to the travelator costing a total of €3,529.72 in emergency callouts, fire brigade and repair fees.
The youth pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage.
Defending solicitor Philip Meagher said that CCTV footage from the shopping centre identified his client with a group of girls at the time. The youth went into the toilet. When he came out one of the girls shouted down to him to throw up the charging cable as she wanted to charge up her phone.
Mr Meagher said: “He threw it up to her, but he had no idea what damage he would have caused. It was stupidity. He just threw up the cable instead of walking up and handing it to her.” Judge Susan Fay said she was adjourning the case to 24 November and wanted to see a letter from the LOETB informing her that the youth has been attending his training course every day.
