Young offender nearly scoots into Kildare judge’s car
Low angle shot of man riding electric scooter
A TEENAGER was recognised by the judge as the scooter driver who nearly hit his car before his appearance in court that morning.
With no parent available as his appropriate adult as required for children under 18 appearing in court, he had to rely on an 18-year old cousin as his unofficial guardian as he attended court from formal custody.
Judge Desmond Zaidan recognised him, although not from a previous appearance, but from an encounter that very morning when the teen almost hit the judge’s car on his eScooter outside that very courthouse in Athy.
“I remember him!” exclaimed the judge.
“He almost hit my car this morning, out there, right under my nose!” “I was very lucky, I was just inches away from you,” he told the defendant.
“I told you to leave that at home, it’s too dangerous for you,” his solicitor Jackie McManus said to the boy quite sternly.
The boy had travelled on the device from his home in south Kildare to the Courthouse for his arrest by appointment on foot of a bench warrant issued at Thurles District Court on 4 March.
The judge then turned his attention to the adult cousin, and demanded to know where the defendant’s parents were.
“They have to look after the baby… the baby is very sick,” said the 18-year-old. “He was only five months old when he was born” “What chance do you have when he has an 18-year-old standing in for his parents,” the judge shook his head.
When Sergeant Dave Hanrahan said there was no objection to bail, the judge remanded him on continuing bail to appear at Thurles District Court on 2 June, and added: “Some adult will have to bring him to Thurles.”
