Teenagers sent forward for trial over spate of muggings

Three teenage boys have been sent forward for trial charged with a spate of armed muggings which occurred at or near student accommodation at the Headford Road area of the Galway City last September.

Books of evidence were served on all three, who cannot be named as they are juveniles, at the juvenile sittings of Galway District Court last week.

The trio, who are aged between 15 and 16, are jointly charged with five counts of separately robbing three young women and two young men of their mobile phones, wallets and cash within a one-hour period in the Gort na Coiribe, Dun na Coiribe and Castlelawn Heights areas of the city on Sunday night, September 3 last year.

A grandfather of one of the accused posted bail for his 15 year old grandson and he was released from custody.

Another appeared before the court on bail, accompanied by his father.

The third youth, who has remained in custody after breaching terms of bail which had been set by the High Court before Christmas, faces additional charges of producing a knife and causing injury to the throat of one of the gang’s victims at Gort na Coiribe on the same night.

He is further charged with assaulting the same victim, causing him harm.

Judge Mary Fahy sent all three forward for trial to the next sittings of Galway Circuit Criminal Court in April.