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THREE BOYS AGED 14 and 15 have been charged over a series of thefts around the country.

They appeared before Judge Gerry Jones at Dublin Children’s Court on multiple charges of thefts in Laois, Galway, Dublin, Kildare, Westmeath and Offaly. They were ordered to appear again later this month.

Court Garda Fionnuala Monaghan told the judge the charges related to incidents around the country. It was a “very complex file” and anticipated that it would take some time for it to be prepared, she said. She was addressing the court on behalf of the numerous investigating gardaí.

Garda Monaghan applied for an adjournment to allow those officers to be in a position to explain themselves to the court.

Barrister Damian McKeone acting for the trio asked the court to note one of them was aged only 14 and he asked that there would be a certain amount of expediting in getting directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Judge Jones said the charges related to offences around the country and it was not a straightforward case.

Continuing bail

The teens, who were accompanied to court by family members, were remanded on continuing bail to appear again in three weeks. They did not address the court and have not yet indicated how they will plead.

Two of the 15-year-old boys are charged with:

• Stealing a charity box containing approximately €60 from a garage shop in Portarlington, Co Laois on 16 November last
• Stealing a €700 phone from an Eir shop on Dublin’s Henry Street between 1 June and 14 June last year
• Theft of another €700 phone from an Eir shop in Blanchardstown and stealing a phone worth €900 at Liffey Valley shopping centre in Dublin between 1 November and 14 November last
• Theft of another phone worth €880 from a Three shop on Pearse St, Mullingar, Co Westmeath on 28 October last
• Theft of a phone valued at €699 at DID in the Tullamore retail park and another phone worth €479 from Expert electrical Cloncollig industrial estate in the same Co Offaly town on 11 November last.

One of the 15-year-old boys also has an additional charge for stealing a €699 phone from Currys at Headford Road, Galway on 12 April last year.

The 14-year-old co-defendant is accused of theft of €51 of petrol at a service station in Leixlip, Co Kildare on 1 December last; €52 worth of petrol from a garage in Kilcock, Co Kildare on 30 November last and €40 worth of petrol three days earlier at a service station in Clonsilla, Co Dublin.

Two reside in Co Dublin while one lives in Kildare.

The three teens and their families are originally from eastern Europe and Judge Jones agreed to order that interpreters would be present to translate at the next hearing.

Comments are closed as the case is before the courts

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