Youth gets bail on Claremorris manslaughter charge

 

A 16-year-old schoolboy charged with the manslaughter  of a fellow secondary school student  assured a judge  today (Sunday) he would not leave the country if granted bailed as 'it would be the wrong thing to do because I did a bad thing.'

The accused, a Lithuanian national, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Judge Mary Devins, at a special District Court sitting in Castlebar. He was accompanied by his mother at the hearing which lasted about 40 minutes.

 Detective Sergeant James Carroll gave evidence of arresting the accused at Mount Street, Claremorris, at 1.02 pm today (Sunday) and conveying him to the local garda station where he charged him with the unlawful killing of Dovydas Jenkas (17), at Claremount Estate, Claremorris, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The teenager made no reply when the charge was read to him.

Supt. Michael Cryan said the application of the State was for a remand in custody at Oberstown House (youth detention centre) to Ballina District Court tomorrow (Tuesday).

 When Evan O'Dwyer, the solicitor for the accused, indicated there was an application for bail, Sergeant Carroll said gardaí were objecting to the application because of the seriousness of the charge  and the fact that the accused pose 'a significant flight risk.2

 Mr. O'Dwyer said the accused had been in custody for 24 hours, had conducted five interviews and had co-operated by answering all the questions put to him 'in a frank and forthright way.'

 The solicitor said the accused was a pupil in a local secondary school and was variously described by his teachers in school reports as well mannered and an exceptional student especially in metalwork and woodwork.

 After being sworn in to give evidence the accused, who speaks fluent English, and lives with his mother and younger sister, agreed with Mr. O'Dwyer that 'something horrible had happened.'

 He added he was 'very sorry for what happened.'

 If granted bail, the accused continued, he would not leave the country as 'it would be the wrong thing to do as I did a bad thing'.

 Speaking through an interpreter, the boy's mother said she was divorced from his father for the past thirteen years. She said she trusted her son to stay here until the case was finished.

 Judge Devins remanded the accused on bail until Tuesday to Ballina District Court on a number of conditions - that he continue to reside with his mother and observe a 24 hour curfew during that time.

 The judge also ordered the surrender of the accused's passport and give gardaí the liberty to call his house at any time to ensure he was still there.

 The judge explained that on Tuesday she will revisit the terms of the bail in particular the question of a considerable cash lodgement by the accused's mother and, inter alia, the question of a continued curfew and signing-on by the accused at a garda station.

 Mr. O'Dwyer indicated he was seeking legal aid on behalf of the accused.