Judge hits out at teens 'terrorising' Kildare and other counties

After being unable to place two Laois teenagers in detention, a Laois Judge said the Government is failing to protect people from 'feral' gangs of criminal juveniles. 

Judge Andrew Cody said District Court Judges can do little but “huff and puff” at "feral" gangs of youths engaging in “an epidemic” of crime who “wreak havoc” on society. 

He made the remarks when two Laois teenagers, who the court heard were in a stolen car that was stopped by a stinger device on the M7 Motorway, were refused access to Oberstown Detention Centre. 

“Young male teenagers, such as the two accused in these cases are terrorising not just parts of Dublin but also the towns like Portlaoise, Portarlington, Kildare and Newbridge,” said Judge Cody. 

The 17 and 15 year old boys were placed in custody on Thursday after Judge Cody heard evidence of bail breaches by each of the accused. The court on Thursday was also told that one of the teenagers had been seen in the company of members of the notorious ‘lucky dip gang’ in Dublin.  

Garda Austin Cleere told the court he had taken the pair to Oberstown where they were met at the gates and refused entry after about 20 minutes.   

Speaking on Friday, Solicitor Philip Meagher said “they both spent the night in Abbeyleix Garda Station which is unfortunate.” 

Judge Cody said this matter was of importance to every citizen in the country. “We have no beds available to accommodate these young people,” he said. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said “we are in legal limbo. We have complied with the legal order of the court.” 

“We have carried out the orders of the court to the best of our ability,” Sgt Kirby said of the gardaí. 

Solicitor Philip Meagher agreed that it wasn’t acceptable and said having only 40 beds available in Oberstown was “a ridiculous figure” for the entire country. 

“Myself and Mr Fitzgerald’s clients are the subject of an order which cannot be activated,” he said. He said the court was “backed into a corner” and respectfully asked that his clients be granted bail. 

Solicitor Barry Fitzgerald echoed the sentiments and said “the order cannot be executed in circumstances where there is no places and we are dealing with children,” he said. He too asked for bail for his client.  

Mr Meagher said his client’s parents were due to go on holiday to Spain. He asked that their teenage son be allowed to accompany them. 

Judge Cody said the government is divided into three separate branches being the Oireachtas, the Cabinet and the Judiciary.

“One of the most basic duties of a government, and that includes all three branches, is to keep the public safe,” he said. 

“Juvenile crimes are on the rise in Ireland, and we are currently in the grip of an epidemic of car thefts by teenagers, which has clearly spread to Laois and the surrounding counties,” said Judge Cody. 

He said young male teenagers were terrorising parts of Dublin, Laois and Kildare. 

“There is a core to this gang here in Portlaoise who continue to commit crimes without any fear of recrimination. They do so because they know that it is the courts, the gardai and society that has been handcuffed, while they walk free. The courts, the gardai and society are handcuffed in the sense that we now have no control over these juveniles, we are hampered by the fact that the ultimate sanction and deterrent of imprisonment has been taken from us because of the lack of places at Oberstown,” said Judge Cody.  

He said the court had tried everything to exert control on the members of the group based in Portlaoise and had threatened them with Oberstown on several occasions if they continued to commit crimes.  

“These two have done so in a shocking and dangerous manner without any regard for their own or anyone else's lives. Since the last time they were in court before me a few weeks ago they have continued to steal cars and continued to drive them at speeds of up to 200kph and drive them on the wrong side of the motorway to escape the gardai. All the time they record their escapades and load them to TikTok,” he said. 

Judge Cody said that apart from the obvious danger to life these juveniles are destroying cars and have destroyed sports facilities costing tens of thousands of euros to repair.

“I have also noticed recently that other teenage boys are being 'sucked in' to these gangs as this crime wave continues unchecked. 

The lesson being learned by these juveniles is that you can continue to commit crime without any consequences, and they are fast becoming the next generation of serious criminals,” said Judge Cody. 

“I was and continue to be of the view that their continued presence in the community presents a real and imminent danger to the citizens of this country,” he said. 

“They have pleaded guilty to several serious offences and continue to breach their bail conditions and continue to commit serious crimes with no regard for the safety of the citizens of Ireland, the gardai or for that matter their own safety,” he said. 

“I felt that I had exhausted all other options, and the two juveniles had exhausted several of their last chances. Consequently, these two juveniles were remanded in custody to Oberstown Children's Detention Campus yesterday,” Judge Cody said during a sitting of Portlaoise District Court last Friday. 

“When they arrived yesterday evening, Garda Cleere was refused entry at the gates and the Gardai were handed letters addressed "To whom it may concern, unfortunately it will not be possible to execute said warrant due to the Campus operating at full capacity with regard to male beds."

“That is simply not good enough. The Government, in the sense of the Legislature and the Cabinet are failing in their most basic duty, that is their duty to protect the citizens of this State. Before it is too late, it is now the time for the Government to urgently tackle this crisis before another innocent citizen is killed on the roads by these gangs,” said Judge Cody. 

He said he was “regrettably” left with no option but to revoke my order detaining the two juveniles and to release them back on bail, subject to the same bail conditions that applied until the day before.

“However, I am directing the Gardai to continue to liaise with Oberstown and I am granting the gardai liberty to re-enter both cases on three hours' notice to both the accused parents and solicitors on a bed becoming available,” he said. 

“There are eight sittings of this court next week and the cases should be brought before me but if I am not available then Judge Fay can make the orders detaining either or both of these two juveniles until next Thursday,” he said. 

He directed that the first bed be made available for the 15 year old defendant and the second bed to become available should go to the 17 year old. 

He said there was “no harm” in the 17 year old accompanying his parents to Spain for a week. 

Mr Maegher said his client wouldn’t be returning until May 16. Judge Cody then put his case back to Portlaoise District Court on May 22. 

The 17 year old is accused of the unlawful taking of a vehicle from Dara Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare between the February 7 and 9, 2024, the unlawful taking of a car from Carmody Way, Portlaoise on February 27, 2024, the unlawful taking of a car from Ashwood Walk, Summerhill Lane, Portlaoise on February 27, 2024, the unlawful taking of a car from the Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise on June 17, 2024 and the unlawful taking of a car from Stradbrook Apartments, Stradbally on March 23, 2024 and dangerous driving at Green Mill Lane, Portlaoise on the same date. The youth is also accused of criminal damage at Timahoe GAA grounds on February 28 and criminal damage at Stradbally GAA grounds on February 28, 2024. The teenager is further accused of theft of a wallet at SS Peter and Paul’s Church, Portlaoise and making gain by deception at Portlaoise Plaza and Lidl Portlaoise on December 15, 2023. 

The second youth is accused of the unlawful taking of a cars in 2024 at Porlaoise Hospital on January 20, at Dara Park Newbridge between February 7 and 9, at the Lane, College Farm, Newbridge between February 16 and 17 and on the Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise on June 17. He is further charged with unauthorised carriage in a vehicle at Campus filling station, Carlow Road, Abbeyleix and making off without payment on April 10, 2025 and criminal damage at Portlaoise Hospital  on January 20, 2024, at Portlaoise Train Station car park on January 6, 2024 at Ashwood Walk, Summerhill Lane on February 27 and 28, 2024 and at  Maryborough Village, Portlaoise on the same dates. The defendant is also accused of stealing a wallet at SS Peter and Paul’s Church, Portlaoise and making gain by deception at Portlaoise Plaza and Lidl Portlaoise on December 15, 2023.