A teenager granted bail on condition he is banned from cycling is accused of stealing a number of bikes, including one owned by the Garda.
A judge has banned a 16-year-old boy from cycling as a condition of being granted bail on charges relating to bicycle thefts.
The unusual condition was imposed on the teenager when he appeared before Judge John O’Connor at Dublin Children’s Court yesterday, Monday.
One of the charges the boy is facing relates to the theft of Garda bicycle, which are used by members of the force to patrol the streets of Dublin’s inner city and other areas.
The teenager is accused of damaging the Garda bike and is also charged with being in possession of another stolen bike on the same day.
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The court was told the alleged crimes occurred last month and that the boy had spent a week remanded in custody.
Judge O’Connor agreed to release him from detention for the Christmas period to appear before the same court again next month.
One of the conditions to the bail was that the accused “not be seen on any bicycle” before he is next in court.
He has also been bound to a number of other bail conditions such as abiding by a curfew and agreeing not to associate with a number of named people.
One of the bikes allegedly stolen, and later damaged, by the boy was owned by the Garda.
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The court was told the youth is charged with stealing the Garda bike worth around €500 at Benburb St in Dublin’s north inner city on November 16th.
It is alleged he damaged that bike and was in possession of a second stolen bike on the same date.
Judge O’Connor was also told the 16-year-old is facing other charges, including bike theft on Crane St in the city on November 23rd and of trespassing at a house on the North Circular Road, Dublin, the previous day.
He is further accused of trespassing at three other properties on September 24th in Dublin 7 and with damaging a bicycle lock on the same date.
A lawyer defending the boy in court, Aoife McNickle, said her client was being helped by a number of organisations.
He had also applied for a place in a residential unit that assists troubled teenagers and was accompanied in court by family members.
Judge O’Connor said he believed the accused was essentially a “nice kid”. However, he warned him he ran the risk of going back into detention.
He also told the accused he must comply with the bail conditions and that such a course of action in the period to the next court date would mean he was sending a positive message to the court.
The teenager agreed, saying “yes your honour” as he was addressed by Judge O’Connor.
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