5 days ago
Judge orders arrest of teen sisters accused of stealing from student with Down syndrome
The pair, aged 16 and 17, had been ordered to stay away from people with intellectual disabilities as a condition of bail
A judge has ordered the arrest of two teenage sisters after they failed to turn up to court on charges stemming from a garda investigation into thefts from vulnerable adults in Dublin.
The pair, aged 16 and 17, who cannot be named because they are minors, were ordered in January to stay away from people with intellectual disabilities as a specific condition of bail.
However, they failed to attend their next scheduled hearing at the Dublin Children's Court today when the case was listed for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Judge Brendan Toale issued bench warrants for the teens.
Dublin Children's Court
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At the first hearings, almost six months ago, officers from the Serious Crime Unit at Pearse Street Garda Station charged them initially with the theft of €500 from Joshua Spurling (23), at Aston Quay, Dublin 2, on January 21. The student with Down syndrome from Greystones, Co Wicklow, had been on a college trip to the city that day.
The complainant's mother, Ruth Spurling, spoke on RTÉ's Liveline days afterwards.
They were also charged with stealing sums totalling €703 from another male at two locations on January 20 in the city centre: a store in the Ilac shopping centre and a shop at College Green.
The court had ordered the girls, who came to court in January with their mother, to remain out of Dublin 2 with the usual exception for attending for legal advice and to reside at their current home address.
They were also told that as a further condition of bail, they had to stay away from people with intellectual disabilities or any education courses they attended.
The girls, who had been granted legal aid and representation, have yet to enter a plea.
A decision has yet to be made on whether their case will remain in the Children's Court or go forward to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.
