Teen fails to appear for sentencing over O'Connell Street looting

Tom Tuite

A judge has ordered the arrest of a boy who was 14 when he took part in looting during the mass rioting on Dublin's O'Connell Street in November 2023.

The youth, now 16, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, had his sentencing adjourned in March with the case set to resume on Wednesday. However, he failed to turn up to his hearing at the Dublin Children's Court.

The judge issued a bench warrant for the gardaí to arrest him and bring him before the court.

The out-of-school teen, who had no prior convictions, had pleaded guilty earlier to burglary of the Gala shop on the capital's main thoroughfare at the height of the unrest on the night of November 23rd, 2023.

On March 4th, the court heard that violence broke out in the city centre after an earlier incident where three children were severely injured in a knife attack at Parnell Square. Dozens of defendants have faced prosecution in connection with the disturbances.

The court was shown video evidence of the boy's actions that night.

Judge Paul Kelly had said that the teenager was captured in "glorious technicolour" in the CCTV footage wearing a camouflage jacket as he entered the shop and "grabbed" cigarettes and a box of vapes during the riots.

He was identified following an appeal for information, and there were "two nominations by members of the public".

The boy also admitted unrelated motoring offences, for driving a Skoda Octavia he had just bought, without a licence or insurance, on May 25th last year, when he was aged 15.

Judge Kelly noted the teenager, who came to his last hearing with his mother, made admissions about buying the car immediately on his arrest, after gardaí spotted him stationary in traffic in Dublin.

It was also confirmed that there were no allegations of any pursuit.

During an interaction with the judge about how he spent his time, the boy said he was neither in school nor working, but added that he was helping a relative.

Judge Kelly sought a probation report on the boy and asked gardaí to enquire whether the shop owner wished to deliver a victim impact statement.