TWO TEENAGE COUSINS have been charged with raiding Dublin city centre phone shops, with one of the youths accused of making off with more than €28,000 worth of electronic devices.

The pair, aged 16 and 17, were barred from the city centre after they appeared at the Dublin Children’s Court today.

Their defence counsel described a garda bail objection as “academic” because there was no place to hold them.

Both are accused of robbery of the One Cell store on Talbot Street of 18 mobile phones worth €16,810 and criminal damage to a glass cabinet on October 16, and assaulting a male and stealing a €550 Apple Mac Book at a commercial building on O’Connell Street on Monday.

The younger boy has two additional charges for damaging a glass cabinet and robbing the Capel Street shop I Want Mobile of €11,767 worth of electronic devices on November 19.

Garda Jordan Mulcahy told the District Court President, Judge Paul Kelly, that the pair had been arrested and had made no reply after being charged at Store Street station.

Garda Mulcahy alleged that the younger boy was involved in serious offences, “Two robberies in which €28,500 worth of electronic goods were stolen and to date those goods were never recovered”.

He said there were witnesses and high-quality CCTV, and the pair were arrested after being “detained at the scene” during Monday’s alleged incident.

They were held and charged at Store Street station on Monday night.

The garda alleged that a brand new phone, still in its box but believed to have been stolen, was found during a search of the 16-year-old boy’s home.

He agreed with defence counsel Doireann McDonagh that the boy had no prior convictions.

Judge Kelly granted bail but warned the pair to stay out of the Dublin 1 and 2 area and notify gardai of any address changes.

Counsel successfully resisted a nightly curfew condition after submitting that the incidents allegedly happened during the day and evening.

The garda said further charges could be brought against the pair, and directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions were awaited.

A decision has yet to be made on whether they will be tried in the Children’s Court or the Circuit Court which has broader sentencing powers.

The boys, accompanied to court by an adult male relative, have yet to enter pleas and will appear again in February. Legal aid was granted to the boys who cannot be identified because they are minors.