A 17-YEAR-OLD BOY who allegedly drove a stolen BMW car at speed the wrong way down the N40 in Cork city for a period of 600 metres has been refused bail in order to “protect himself and others.”

Garda Niall McCarthy told an in camera hearing at Cork District Court today that gardaí went to the home of the young man on Wednesday evening to arrest him.

He said that the teenager jumped over a garden fence and climbed onto a roof of another property in a bid to avoid arrest.

McCarthy gave evidence of the arrest, charge and caution of the youth. He said that the juvenile made no reply when the charges were put to him under caution at 12.25am today.

The teenager is charged with two counts of unauthorised taking of a vehicle, four counts of dangerous driving, two counts of driving without a driving licence and two counts of driving without insurance.

It is alleged that the teenager stole a black Range Rover car worth €35,000 from a house in Ballintemple in Cork on 7 August.

McCarthy said that the youth was captured on “high quality” CCTV stealing the car from property.

He said that it is further alleged that on 20 August 2026 at 4.40am, the youth was observed driving a stolen BMW X5 in the Ringmahon Road area of Mahon in Cork city.

A garda in his patrol car forced the vehicle to come to a stop. It is claimed that the youth then performed a U-turn and drove at a speed of up 110km/h.

It is alleged that at Junction 8 in Douglas in Cork, the youth drove east down the carriageway of the N40 in the wrong direction for a period of 600 metres before leaving at Junction 7.

McCarthy said that he was strenuously objecting to bail being granted in the case.

“He puts himself and other road users at risk. “

The youth had consulted with his solicitor prior to the hearing. However, his solicitor could not represent him because of the free legal aid dispute.

The accused opted to represent himself in court. He said that it was his understanding that detention of a juvenile was a “last resort”. He asked if any bail conditions would be acceptable to gardaí.

The garda said that no bail conditions set down by the court would suffice in the case. “His offending is escalating out of custody.”

The youth denied that he had committed the offences for which he had been charged.

“I want to make a submission. The guards are saying it was me. I am saying it was not. They are not 100% sure it was me.”

The teenager said that he was back doing sports training and wanted to “stay out of trouble.” He said that he was also waiting for a meeting with the probation service.

“I can just promise I am going to be good. Any conditions, I will abide by them. I will stay at home. I will sign on every day,” he said.

“I will stay out of certain places if I need to. I will do anything (to stay out on bail). I have a supportive family. I don’t want to go to Oberstown.”

Inspector Fergal Long said that the youth had a “complete disregard for members of the public.”

Judge Liz Healy told the teenager that he had represented himself very well in court. She said that gardaí had expressed concern about him committing “further serious offences” whilst on bail.

The youth then addressed her saying that there “is a presumption in favour of bail.”

The judge said that the matter was very serious. She refused to grant bail in the case and remanded the youth in detention to Oberstown in order to protect not only the public but the young man himself.

The teenager will appear before court in Cork again on Friday by video link.