Higher court trial for teen sisters who targeted vulnerable adults in Dublin

Tom Tuite

Two teenage sisters “targeted” and “befriended” two vulnerable adults on Dublin city centre streets, convincing them they were homeless before leading them to shops and ATMS to steal from them, a court has heard.

The girls, aged 16 and 18, have been charged with false imprisonment and theft.

They cannot be named because one is still a juvenile and the second was a minor at the time of the alleged offence.

They were served with the prosecution’s books of evidence at the Dublin Children's Court before Judge Paul Kelly granted an order sending them forward for trial to the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.

They remain on bail with strict conditions; they will appear again on December 18th.

Their cases were ruled too serious to be heard in juvenile court.

They were accused of two counts of false imprisonment of two young men at Aston Quay and the Ilac Centre over two successive dates. Both men had been taking part in the Trinity Access Programme in Trinity College.

The charges also include the allegations of theft of €500 from Joshua Spurling, 23, at Aston Quay, Dublin 2, on January 21st.

The student with Down syndrome from Greystones, Co. Wicklow, had been on a college trip to the city that day.

The complainant's mother, Ruth Spurling, spoke on RTÉ's Liveline days after the incident.

They were also accused of stealing sums totalling €703 from a young man with autism on January 20th at a store in the Ilac shopping centre and a shop at College Green.

In a preliminary hearing, Garda Chloe Rochfort told Judge Kelly that it was alleged the younger sister approached Mr Spurling while he was walking to a bus stop and told him she had no money. It was alleged she led the accused into a shop, and her older sister, then aged 17, joined them and brought him to an ATM.

However, security staff told the girls to leave, but they later approached Mr Spurling again when he re-emerged from the store. It was claimed they led him to a bank machine at College Green and got him to withdraw €500.

Garda Rochfort described the approaches as planned and targeted the vulnerable complainant.

Garda Michael Murphy presented the facts of the case involving the second complainant the previous day. He said that the victim was a young man with autism and mild intellectual issues who required decision-making guidance. The garda described him as extremely literal, with difficulties with the concept of lying, and he “cannot comprehend it”.

It was alleged that the sisters told him they were homeless and hungry, brought him to two shops in the Ilac centre, selected various goods, including crystal glasses.

Eventually, his mother telephoned him, and he told her what was happening, at which point he became distressed and left.

CCTV footage of both incidents was shown in court.

Orla Doolin BL asked the judge to note that her client was younger, not visible in some of the footage at the ATM, the least culpable, and that there was no evidence she used force.

The court heard that the girl had attended school in Romania before moving to Ireland and did not continue her education.

However, the Judge held that she too must face the higher court.

The teens have yet to enter pleas. While on bail, they must remain outside Dublin 2, except for attending legal advice meetings, and reside at their current home address.

Another condition prohibits her from approaching people with intellectual disabilities or any educational courses they attended.