A DUBLIN TEENAGER, who went on a rampage on a train after he pulled the emergency brake following an alleged assault, has been detained for six months.
Judge John O’Connor handed down the custodial sentence at the Dublin Children’s Court after the youth failed to comply with an order made in April last year to carry out 150 hours of community service work.
The teenage boy terrified passengers and caused almost €6,000 worth of damage on a Sligo-Dublin train on 27 June 2014 after he was allegedly a victim of an assault.
At an earlier stage the court heard the 17-year-old was found to be at a risk of re-offending due to his drug taking, negative peer group and lack of education or training.
The court heard that the boy, who had no train ticket, began shattering windows after he was attacked by a man who had overheard the teenager saying that he wanted to pull the emergency cord so that he could get out Broombridge station where the train was not scheduled to stop.
The boy, who had 21 prior criminal convictions, had pleaded not guilty to criminal damage but was convicted.
Judge O’Connor did not accept defence claims that the teenager lawfully damaged the windows in a bid to escape from a man who had attacked him.
The alleged assault
The boy boarded at Maynooth without a ticket and was carrying three bottles of beer. CCTV footage showed him talking to a young couple on the train before another passenger approached him and started beating him over the head with knuckle-dusters.
A verbal altercation continued and Garda Eoin Pelly said it was a frightening situation and “the whole carriage emptied”.
After the assault, the train was approaching Ashtown station but was going non-stop to Connolly station. The youth went to the back of the carriage, took possession of a shatter hammer and pulled the emergency cord forcing the train to come to a sudden halt. He then used the hammer to hit a number of windows but did not succeed in breaking them.
He walked to the driver’s cabin door and waited there until the driver emerged. The teen then slipped into the driver’s cabin, exited the train and “ran down the tracks to Broombridge station”.
An elderly woman gave evidence in the trial and said that before the teenager had been attacked he had been telling a young man and woman that he had a problem and he was going to “jump the train at Broomer”.
The 88-year-old woman said she became frightened and left the carriage but moments later she saw the teenager was dripping blood.
No ticket
In evidence given earlier, the teenager admitted he had no ticket and that he had wanted to get out at Broombridge. However he claimed he would have gone on to Connolly station and travelled back from there but he was afraid of the man who had attacked him.
He caused €5,700 worth of damages and the train was out of service for a day.
Judge O’Connor said the teenager, who has been diagnosed as having special needs, had not needed to break the windows as he could have gone to Irish Rail staff to ask them to call gardai. He also noted the teenager had been travelling without a ticket and had drink taken at the time.
The court heard the youth had previous conviction for public order, theft, robbery and criminal damage offences
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