Teen who posted car thefts on social media when he was 13 sentenced to six months detention

The accused was aged 13 at the time of the offending and pleaded guilty to seven car thefts at locations in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary in 2024 and the early part of 2025.

A JUDGE HAS sentenced a Limerick teenager to six months detention for a spate of car thefts at locations in Limerick city, Co Clare and Co Tipperary, including car thefts posted on social media platforms.

Gardaí positively identified the teenager carrying out a number of the car thefts from footage uploaded to TikTok, Snapchat and other “open source social media”.

In the case, the accused was aged 13 at the time of the offending and pleaded guilty to seven car thefts at locations in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary in 2024 and the early part of 2025

At the Children’s Court in Ennis today, Judge Adrian Harris said that there were “a number of serious offences” before the court.

Judge Harris imposed a detention order on the teenager – now aged 15 – to 21 March next at Oberstown Detention Facility.

Sergeant Shane Graham told Judge Harris that there is reference to high risk of reoffending in the teenager’s Probation Report “and we expect that will happen when he is out in March”.

The sergeant said that any time the teenager “has been out of custody we have had an influx of offences that we have to investigate resulting in charges coming back before the court”.

Judge Harris said that as part of his detention order to 21 March next the teenager will have six months post release supervision by the Probation Service.

The sentence imposed today by Judge Harris won’t add any additional time to the boy’s time in detention at Oberstown as he is already serving a sentence to 21 March next for a separate offence.

Judge Harris told Sgt Graham that he takes on board the findings of the Probation Report over the high risk of re-offending but stated that the teenager has already been in detention for 12 months.

Judge Harris said that the Probation Report had highlighted the boy’s association with peers, drug use, impulsivity when concluding that he is at high risk of re-offending.

Addressing the youth, who was appearing via video link from a booth in Oberstown Detention Facility, Judge Harris said that “the bottom line is that you take the opportunity you’re being given otherwise we will be seeing a lot more of each other and that would not be good for you”.

In reply the teenager – represented by solicitor, Shiofra Hassett – replied “thank you very much”.

Judge Harris said that he hoped that the teenager’s interaction with the Probation Service will mean that he may not be seen again in court.

In the case the boy pleaded guilty to seven car thefts including four in the Limerick area.

Outlining the evidence in the case previously, Sgt Graham said that in a car theft at O’Brien’s Park, Clare Street, Limerick on 4 July 2024 three youths forced the driver’s door open with a crowbar and drove off.

Sgt Graham said that the youths had their hoods up and a zipped hood to cover their faces but gardaí were able to positively identify the accused “from open source social media”.

In relation to another of the four car thefts in Limerick at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), St Nessan’s Rd, Limerick on 17 September 2024, the sergeant said that a car was stolen from UHL’s underground car park and the accused was identified from CCTV and a blood sample taken from the car matched the accused’s DNA.

The accused also stole a car at Grove Island Student Accommodation, Corbally, Limerick in October 2024 and again Sgt Graham said that the accused was identified by gardaí from open source social media.

In relation to a car theft at Patrick Street, Clarecastle, Co Clare on 23 September 2024, Sgt Graham said that gardaí were able to identify the accused from open source social media, CCTV and the accused’s DNA matched a blood sample found in the car.