Courts / Dublin / Report
'Way off the rails': teen has year of deferred sentence for defilement activated
Summary
A 17‑year‑old boy, who was 14 when he committed unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 15 in a public park on 31 December 2019, had a four‑year deferred sentence activated after breaching conditions set by the Central Criminal Court. The judge had originally imposed a four‑year detention order, deferred under the Children Act 2001, with conditions that the boy not commit further offences, follow all directions of the Probation Service and avoid contact with the victim. The boy pleaded guilty to defilement but denied unlawful sex, claiming the victim had instigated the acts and that they were consensual. At the hearing, the court found the boy had breached the conditions, activated 12 months of the four‑year period, and suspended the remaining three years for two years. The judge urged the boy to engage with probation services during his detention. The victim's impact statement described lasting trauma and a loss of trust.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Way off the rails': teen has year of deferred sentence for defilement activated. Charges or matters: the defilement of a child under the age of 15 at a location in Co Dublin on December 31, 2019. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 31, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 2022 Incident
- December 2022 Adjournment
- January 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- New Year's Eve Other
- 2023-03-03 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: the defilement of a child under the age of 15 at a location in Co Dublin on December 31, 2019 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He said under the provisions of the Children Act 2001, a period of detention should only be imposed as a last resort. Mr Justice McDermott said he would impose a four-year order of detention, but deferred the imposition of this sentence and adjourned the matter for finalisation.; Mr Justice McDermott said he would impose a four-year order of detention, but deferred the imposition of this sentence and adjourned the matter for finalisation.
Places mentioned
- Probation Service. The Central Criminal Court
Topics
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