Fourteen months detention for repeat offender at Kilkenny Court

A 14-month detention order was affirmed at a district court appeal at Kilkenny Circuit Court.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of multiple counts of theft and assault causing harm at Kilkenny District Court and had lodged an appeal to the 14-month sentence which had been imposed.

State solicitor Gerry Meaney told the court that the district court judge had handed down an eight month detention order in relation to the assault and an order for six months detention for theft and had ordered that both sentences were to run consecutively.

At Kilkenny Circuit Court the court heard that the youth had pleaded guilty to theft of approximately €30 worth of tips from a tips jar at the Glendine Inn on August 10, 2023 and to stealing a vape from a retail premises in Kilkenny City on September 9, 2024 and to the theft of a can of Red Bull and chocolate from a service station in Kilkenny City the following day.
vapes, bicycle

The youth also admitted stealing three vapes, with a value of €18 from a High Street retail premises on February 20, 2024 and to stealing a bicycle from Kilkenny City centre on August 8, 2023. He also pleaded guilty to the theft of trainers from a premises at MacDonagh Junction on June 2, 2024 and to stealing the contents of a charity box, valued at between €200 and €300 from a city centre premises on March 19, 2025.

The 17-year-old also admitted criminal damage to a jacket from a retail premises on High Street after he was seen tampering with a security tag on the hood and to theft of a bag from a Kilkenny supermarket on October 16.

The youth also admitted stealing sweets from the Maxol garage on the Dublin Road on August 8 and to damaging a light fitting at a commercial premises at the Hebron Road on August 8, 2023.

The court also heard that the youth had pleaded guilty to stealing a bottle of Lucozade from Kitty’s Cabin on June 10, 2023, to theft of fishing bait from another retail premises on July 19, 2023 and to stealing a can of coke from a Kilkenny City garage on August 19.

He also pleaded guilty to stealing Club Orange and sweets from a High Street premises on May 24, 2023 and to stealing groceries from retail premises in Kilkenny City on March 22, 2024 and on June 27, 2024.

The youth also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at a commercial premises at a business premises at the Hebron Road on March 27, 2023. The court heard that gardaí responded to a call about an assault and met with the injured party who was a juvenile at the time. The injured party said that the youth had ‘grabbed her inappropriately’ and the youth was arrested and admitted grabbing her when he did not have consent to do so.

A victim impact statement was handed into the court.
Judge Cormac Quinn affirmed the order of 14 months.