Teenager (15) spared sentence for helping trash sensory room for children with autism

Tom Tuite

A teenager who helped a group of vandals to destroy a brand new sensory room in Dublin for children with autism, has been spared a custodial sentence.

The 15-year-old schoolboy pleaded guilty to the burglary of the River Valley Community Centre in Swords, which was “thrashed” on August 18, 2023, and cost €12,178 to repair.

The boy, who cannot be identified because he is a juvenile, appeared again for sentencing at the Dublin Children's Court on Tuesday when a six-month probation bond was imposed.

He also admitted to a car theft on another date during an incident in which a woman’s vehicle was taken as she slept and ended up extensively damaged and crashed on its roof in Swords.

Earlier, the court had been shown a list of the damage to specialised fixtures and fittings in the sensory room: a padded door and wall, foam materials, an ocean effect projector, balls, a sensory tube, a mirror, steps, a railing, and other items.

Garda Jordan Martin described the scene afterwards as "completely destroyed, it was thrashed".

The court heard that the four youths had gone when gardaí went to the centre at 9:40 pm and saw that a door had been opened.

Garda Martin said it had just been refurbished with a new sensory room for children with autism from the locality.

CCTV evidence from the building led to the identification of the accused, then aged 13, and three other boys who gained entry by force; however, there was no footage from inside the sensory room.

Garda Martin said they were responsible for substantial damage,

The room was due to be unveiled the following week, but that had to be delayed.

A pre-sentence probation report about the youth was furnished to the court.

Judge Paul Kelly noted from defence solicitor Brian Keenan that three other youths were involved in the sensory room incident, and it was one of his peers who had the code to get into the building.

Mr Keenan acknowledged the seriousness of the case and stressed his client's young age at the time, that he had remained in education and was awaiting his Junior Certificate results.

The boy also admitted guilt to a weapons offence, possessing a pepper spray, and low-value theft and criminal damage offences at a shop on separate dates in 2023 and 2024.

The victim of the car theft, also last year, provided an impact statement. It revealed she was forced to rent a car at a time when her husband was ill and in hospital, and it caused great upset to her and her family.

The boy did not reply when the judge asked how he would feel if his mother’s car was taken in similar circumstances.

His solicitor also informed the court that the boy had distanced himself from a negative peer group, has no other charges pending, and had stopped coming to Garda attention

Judge Kelly, guided by the recommendations of the pre-sentence report, ordered the probation bond with specific conditions to attend an educational course, engage with projects to address his offending and attend appointments with his probation officer. Failure to comply could see the case reopened and a custodial sentence imposed instead.

The teenager did not give evidence, but his solicitor had said he was apologetic. The court heard the teen boy accepted that he "pulled at" some items in the sensory room.

The court heard he was engaging with a social care services provider in Dublin.

The other boys involved in the incident avoided a court prosecution after being found eligible for the Garda Youth Diversion

Programme, which aims to prevent young offenders and children involved in anti-social behaviour from reoffending.