Youth involved in Curragh TikTok video ‘heading for incarceration’
Photo: ©INPHO/Tom Maher
JUDGE Andrew Cody asked a 17-year-old youth who was before him whether it was him who was in a TikTok video “driving around The Curragh like a lunatic?”
The question was posed when the young defendant, who cannot be identified due to his age, came before the court for the theft of €200 worth of dog leads from Maxi Zoo, Kyle Centre, Portlaoise on 10 September and to the unauthored carriage in a vehicle and the theft of €62.12 worth of fuel from Ballybrittas service station on 4 April.
He had previously pleaded guilty to the offences.
At the juvenile sitting of Portlaoise District Court, barrister Andrew Dunne said the dog leads were recovered in a resaleable state and that his client had €65 with him in court for the fuel he had stolen from the garage.
Judge Cody said: “Someone sent me a TikTok video of (named) driving around The Curragh like a lunatic on 24 August,” to which the teenager replied: “I was in the back of the car videoing it.”
“It showed the car was going around a roundabout on the wrong side of the road. I was shown the video. It was absolutely treacherous what was going on,” said Judge Cody.
He asked garda sgt JJ Kirby whether the youth had come to garda attention recently, to which the sergeant replied: “While he has the presumption of innocence, he has come to garda attention. There are a number of issues in the system.”
Mr Dunne said that his client was presently in the circuit court on similar offences that are before the district court.
The barrister said: “The probation report signals that he is at a moderate risk of reoffending. He doesn’t suffer from alcohol or drug difficulties and has been offered a job and can start depending on the outcome of the circuit court matters.”
Mr Dunne handed in a reference from an employer, who, he said, had multiple businesses and who said he knew the young person well and could offer him immediate employment, to which Judge Cody said: “That’s if he isn’t sent to Oberstown (young detention centre)” by the circuit court.
The judge went on to remand the youth on continuing bail to 12 March and told him he wanted to see payslips up to that date and a letter of reference from his employer as to his engagement in employment.
Before adjourning the case, Judge Cody said: “Master (named) is heading for incarceration in either the Midlands Prison or Oberstown if he continues on this track.”
