Teenager was driving car that hit vehicle driven by woman who is now left at risk of requiring further surgery and possible amputation

The victim of a serious road traffic collision caused by a fourteen year-old driving a stolen vehicle “has been left with her life absolutely shattered in every single way”.

The accused, who cannot be named due to being a juvenile, was in Trim Circuit Court on 7th November charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury and driving a stolen vehicle.

Sgt Eoin Tracey told the court on 29th August last year that a vehicle was reported stolen from a property in Ratoath. On 24th September last year at 12.40am on Fairyhouse Road, Ratoath, gardaí on patrol spotted the stolen vehicle being driven with four men inside.

Gardaí pursued but the vehicle but it took off at high speed and lost the patrol car within seconds.

The court heard soon after, gardaí received a report of a serious road traffic collision on a junction at the Curraha and Skryne road. When Gardai arrived at the scene there was two vehicles with extensive damage, one of which was the stolen vehicle. A young male was trapped in the front passenger seat of the stolen vehicle and a woman was trapped in the other vehicle involved in the crash. Two men at the scene reported that three males were seen running from the collision. The woman was brought to Connolly hospital and the injured male was brought to Navan Hospital.

Sgt Tracey told the court two phones and a shoe were taken from the vehicle and three youths were later seen in the area with one missing a shoe.

The court heard after further investigation the accused, who was 14 at the time of the incident, was arrested and detained for questioning in the months following the incident. He initially made no comment when interviewed by Gardai but shortly after his release the accused made a pre-prepared statement admitting he was the driver of the car. Signed pleas were handed into court on an earlier date.

The court heard in the victim impact report that the injured party had previously had her left hip and half her femur replaced as a child. Following the collision, she received a fracture next to where the prosthesis was removed and this required surgery.

In her victim impact report, the injured party said: “I couldn't do anything with my body” without feeling pain following the incident.

A medical report read to the court said she is now always at risk of requiring surgery and a possible amputation if it is not successful. The injured party was forced to stop working full time and the situation has put a financial strain on her family.

Judge John Martin told the court the two offences the accused is charged with are the “most serious offending with most serious consequences”.

Judge Martin also told the court the reason people of a certain age are not allowed to drive is “because they don't have the maturity to do so”.

Judge Martin noted to the court that the victim “has been left with her life absolutely shattered in every single way” and “she is by no means out of the woods. She is left with very, very serious consequences”.

He also told the court he is noting the potential amputation weighing on the injured party’s mind “and that is something she has to live with” due to the actions of the accused “and your band of merry men”.

The Judge also told the accused in court that “you left your mate” referring to the male stuck in the car following the crash and it was “every man for himself”.

The defending barrister, BL James O'Brien, told the court the accused had a significantly difficult upbringing. During the period offences he was homeless and became associated with people who had serious involvement in criminality.

BL O’Brien told the court the accused is now living with his father who homeschooled him for six months and he has become a stabilising factor in the accused’s life. He is currently engaged with Youthreach, has no previous convictions, and has not come to garda attention since.

In mitigation the Judge told the court he took into consideration how he has put his life back on track, his mature approach to the case, and that the positives will hopefully keep him on the right side of the law.

The accused was sentenced to 18 months detention which has been deferred until 31st October next year. An updated probation report is to be given on that date showing he has kept out of trouble and if it is positive the judge told the court he is open to suspending the sentence. A possible driving disqualification is also to be noted for that date.