JUVENILE OFFENDER WARNED ABOUT DANGERS OF “CLOCKWORK ORANGE”

Serious concern about the previous use by a juvenile offender before Monaghan District Court of the drug “Clockwork Orange” was expressed by Judge Sean MacBride.

“I hope you now realise what is important in life,” Judge MacBride told the young male, who was the subject of a Probation Report that showed he was making progress in coping with his drug problems.

“Your health and mental well-being are so important – don’t mess it up with drugs which only cause pain, suffering, heartache and hardship.”

The Judge remanded the juvenile to appear before him again on March 2 next year, telling him that he was willing on that occasion to apply the Probation of Offenders Act in his case if a follow-up report from the Probation Service was favourable.

The 17-year-old defendant, for whom Ms Roisin Courtney, solicitor, appeared, faced a charge of getting into a mechanically propelled vehicle without authority at Rooskey in Monaghan Town on May 25 this year.

He was also charged with threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour at the Monaghan Shopping Centre, Rooskey, on July 2 2014.

Reviewing the young man’s case at Monday’s District Court sittings in Monaghan Town, Judge MacBride said he had read the Probation Report in the matter, which was ordered on September 8 when the defendant pleaded guilty to a public order offence at Monaghan Shopping Centre. The defendant was also before the court on two summonses for alleged trespass at the Monaghan Gospel Choir Hall with intent to commit an offence, and for getting into a mechanically propelled vehicle property of Patrick Gilsenan without permission while the vehicle was stationary. He subsequently appeared on a fresh charge on October 6, which alleged a trespass offence at the Teach na nDaoine Family Resource Centre.

Judge MacBride said the Probation Report was quite comprehensive, and it would appear that the defendant had made quite significant progress in his co-operation with the Probation Service. While he initially had a disdainful attitude to the victims of his behaviour in the shopping centre, he subsequently “manned up”, admitted responsibility and wrote a letter of apology.

The Judge said that it appeared that defendant might have a chance of going straight, but he was concerned about his previous use of drugs, particularly “Clockwork Orange”, which would destroy his brain as well as his body. He agreed that the defendant’s case should be put back, on conditions that he did not enter or loiter at Monaghan Shopping Centre or threaten or abuse security staff there. He would also require the defendant to break contact with members of his peer group who were involved in anti-social behaviour and abuse of drugs.

“You are going to have to clean your act up and cut off ties with anti-social people if you want to make a go of life,” Judge MacBride told the juvenile, pointing out to him that he would soon turn 18.

Hoping that the defendant would “come up trumps” for him, the Judge …