A 16-YEAR-OLD boy charged with attacking a young man who suffered serious facial injuries during an incident in Dublin city-centre has been further remanded in custody.
On Thursday, Judge John O’Connor adjourned the case for another two weeks pending directions from the DPP.
The teen had been arrested and remanded in custody last Thursday morning on foot of a bench warrant issued by the Dublin Children’s Court on 23 May when he would not get out of bed to attend his case.
The teen had tried to escape that morning by climbing out an upstairs back window at his home when he realised gardaí had come for him, the Dublin Children’s Court was told.
Defence solicitor Michelle Finan had told Judge O’Connor the teenager “was not able to manage on bail”.
Judge O’Connor said that after the boy’s first appearance he breached bail terms which were later made more restrictive after he failed to comply.
The boy, who cannot be named because he is minor, is charged with assault causing harm to Andrew Cusack (21), who was taken to St James’s Hospital to be treated for lacerations to his face following the alleged incident in the early hours of 2 May at Dame Lane.
Mr Cusack is the son of Professor Stephen Cusack, an expert on emergency medicine at UCC.
The teenager was initially granted bail on Friday 6 May with strict conditions including a ban on going to Dublin city-centre but he was arrested there again, within hours of being released, and was allegedly in possession of a knife.
He was remanded in custody for a week and on 16 May he was re-admitted to bail with stricter conditions. The teenager was barred from the Dublin 1, 2, 7 and 8 areas; he had to sign on daily at his local garda station, obey a 9pm to 8am curfew and abstain from alcohol. His mother told the court she would supervise him.
‘Row with mother’
The case was due to resume on 23 May but Judge John O’Connor was then told the boy had a row with his mother and refused to get out of bed to come to court. A bench warrant was then issued and executed three days later.
The judge had warned the boy that if he broke bail again he could go back into custody until his trial has been heard.
At the boy’s first hearing on 6 May, the court heard the assault case is to involve “an awful lot of CCTV as well”.
Judge O’Connor has already made an order for disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence which is to include medical reports. Garda Keith Connors has said he would be comply and that “there is an awful lot of CCTV as well”.
The boy has not yet entered a plea to the charge. Directions from the DPP are required and a decision has yet to be made as to whether the case will remain the Children’s Court or instead be sent forward to the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.
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