This article is from page 16 of the 2009-06-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
TWO youths who broke into cars in Cratloe Woods last year had gone off the rails at the time, their solicitors told a court.
One of them pleaded guilty to four charges, while the other pleaded guilty to two charges.
Inspector Tom Kennedy told Shan- non District Court that the two were
together when they committed the offences.
Detective Garda Stephen Ryan told the court that people would leave their cars to go for a walk or run and would return to find that a window had been broken and items taken. He said the incidents happened over a four to five month period. He said that one of the accused was respon- sible for taking €920 worth of prop-
erty, while the other was responsible for property worth €150.
Dt Gda Ryan said that a witness saw them leaving the scene – on a motorbike – of the last car that had been broken into. The motorbike was tracked down to one of the accused.
The court was told that neither youth has any previous convictions. Both recently completed the Leaving Certificate and they intend to study a
year-long course.
The accused who was responsible for the €150 worth of property gave the money to the court, through his solicitor. The solicitor said that his client “went off the rails” due to do- mestic issues.
The other youth’s solicitor said he “has gone off the rails a small bit” but he would pay €920 in compensa- tion at a later date.
“What they did was absolute stu- pidity. Of what was taken, they never kept anything. It was madness. I ap- preciate the public have to be pro- tected, but I’d ask you to give him a chance,’ he said to Judge Joseph Mangan.
The judge adjourned the case for three months and said, “Anything not fully in order that day, we are talking custodial.”