Machine gun youth pleads guilty to extortion and role in violent burglary

Tom Tuite

A youth has pleaded guilty to extortion while armed with a machine gun during a violent burglary in Dublin.

The 17-year-old, described as “born into a world where he was induced to commit crime,” appeared again at the Dublin Children’s Court and signed a guilty plea to three charges: extortion, aggravated burglary and unlawful possession of a Czech-made 9mm Skorpion machine pistol in Shankill, Co Dublin, on June 11th.

Judge Paul Kelly agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions that the case should go to the higher court, which has broader sentencing powers. He noted the youth's guilty plea and sent the teenager forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing in February.

The boy was remanded on continuing bail.

Earlier, Garda Ian Carroll told the Children’s Court that two teens travelled to the house on an e-bike, while two men arrived by car. CCTV showed them travelling to the scene in convoy.

Gardaí responded to a call from the homeowner’s son, 35, who said his 60-year-old father was being attacked and that a male had pointed a gun at him.

It was alleged that the intruders demanded money and said they would return in two hours to collect.

It was alleged that the accused had the gun but later gave it to a second youth who left the scene on the e-scooter as the accused went in the car with two others.

However, both vehicles were intercepted, and an armed support unit was called.

The court heard the teenager came from a criminogenic family and had a close relative serving a lengthy jail term, and there was a history of serious offending in his bloodline. It was said in court that the boy’s “earliest memories would have been gardaí kicking in doors with search warrants”.

The judge was also informed that the boy was affected by trauma as a result of family issues, and contended that “he was born into a world where he was induced to commit crime”.

The boy smoked his first cannabis joint aged nine and moved on to cocaine, ketamine and tablets when he got into his teens.

Fears about incarceration in the adult prison system were also raised; the boy said he feared it would lead to him using harder drugs.

It was described as a double penalty for the youth, who had already served a 17-year sentence, living in a criminal world he did not choose.

In recent months, the boy has been taking part in a course and has had a girlfriend who was a positive influence.

The teenager must follow a range of conditions.

He and a teenage co-defendant were initially denied bail on June 14th but were later freed because the Oberstown Detention Campus in Dublin had no room at the time.

A warrant is still out for the co-defendant, who skipped court two days after his release.

That boy allegedly discarded the gun before driving onto the M50, where he crashed between Junctions 12 and 13 and was arrested.

The weapon was recovered and analysed by the Garda ballistics section.

Two adults are also before the courts facing connected charges.