FOLLOWING his arrest and appearance in court last Sunday, a 17-year-old youth, charged in connection with a serious assault at a Corbally filling station last weekend, was remanded in custody to Dublin’s St Patrick’s Institution this Tuesday after the HSE said they did not have any suitable accommodation for him.
During the hearing, solicitor for the accused, Darrach McCarthy, told the court that his client had been under a voluntary care order to the HSE and had been been taken into care and was being brought to a suitable residence in O’Brien’s Bridge at the time of the alleged incident.
Judge Eamon O’Brien heard at the Children’s Court in Limerick that the parents of the accused (who cannot be named) were not in a position to care for their son at this time, and that the gardai were objecting to bail due to the very serious nature of the charges.
Det Garda Andrew Lacey outlined a number of points under section 2 of the bail act in objecting to the youth obtaining bail, including that upon conviction, the charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and that it was his belief that the HSE did not have a place for the youth. He also added that other charges, under the direction of the DPP, could be preferred against the accused.
Darrach McCarthy, solicitor, countered that his client had never been before the courts on any charge prior to this, and said there were units available for the 17-year-old, and that a number of those units were in Limerick. “My client needs the assistance of the HSE now more than ever and these charges are preventing him getting that care”.
In direct evidence, the court heard from Tim Hanley, regional manager for foster care and aftercare with the HSE, that the local arm of the HSE was asked to see if they had suitable accommodations for the youth, but after a consultation process earlier in the week, it emerged that a suitable residence was not available, and that the HSE had a primary concern for the care and safety of their staff.
With four young people waiting to be placed into care, Mr Hanley added that a suitable place was not available either locally or nationally for the youth and that he did not meet with the outlining criteria for care as it “clearly stated that criminal matters must be dealt with first”.
The youth was before the Children’s Court sitting at Limerick District Court seeking bail after he was remanded in to custody last Sunday following the incident. He is charged with assault causing serious harm to another male at the Applegreen filling station at Corbally on July 23 last.
A 16-year-old remains in critical condition at the Mid Western Regional Hospital.
Judge O’Brien said he was satisfied with “all the concerns of the gardai and denied bail on all grounds” to the 17-year-old and remanded him to St Patrick’s Institute until August 18 next.
