Brion Hoban
A teenage boy stabbed his friend during a fight they pre-arranged in order to settle a dispute between their respective girlfriends, a court has heard.
The boy (15), who cannot be named for legal reasons, twice stabbed his friend during the “straightener” which they had arranged after there had been “slagging” about the boy's girlfriend.
The accused pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to production of an article in the course of a dispute and assault causing harm at an address in north Dublin on February 7th, 2020.
He has no previous convictions.
Fist fight
A local garda told Garrett McCormack BL, prosecuting, that the accused and the victim were friends and they agreed to settle a dispute between their respective girlfriends with a fist fight.
The garda said that prior to the fight the accused lit toilet paper on fire and placed it on the windshield of the victim's family car in order to “entice” him outside from his home. The two teenagers touched fists before beginning a fight that lasted approximately two minutes.
During the fight, the accused produced a knife and twice stabbed the victim. The victim ran inside his home and was followed by the accused who tried to stab him again before leaving the scene.
Knife
In interview with gardaí, the accused said he brought the knife because he was concerned the victim had a hurl. Facebook messages between the two showed that they had agreed that no weapons would be used in the fight, which they called a “straightener”.
The accused said in interview that there had been “slagging” about his girlfriend regarding something he had told his friend “in confidence”. The court heard he has since apologised to the victim in person for the offence.
The garda agreed with Ronan Munro SC, defending, that the wind blew away the toilet paper his client lit on fire and that it was not “a determined effort” to set the car on fire.
Smoking weed
He agreed with counsel that his client said he had been smoking weed on the date and was “stoned” at the time of the fight. He agreed that the environment the accused is in is not great and that he has a brother who is in trouble with gardaí.
The garda agreed with Mr Munro that his client speaks about going to prison “in a fatalistic way”. He agreed the accused had disengaged from school since the pandemic and said the accused is “constantly out on the streets”.
Judge Elma Sheahan remanded the accused on continuing bail on strict conditions, including that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour, maintain a curfew between 10PM and 6AM, continue attending school and continue liaising with the school's counsellor.
She adjourned the case for finalisation to June 4th, next.
At a previous sentencing hearing in March, Judge Sheahan agreed to remand the accused boy in Oberstown detention centre for 28 days so he could engage with the Probation Service on the suggestion of defence counsel.
Today the court heard that the accused was released on bail last week and has been attending school after previously disengaging since the pandemic began.
