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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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District Judge Barney McElholm has said that the law regarding juveniles was 'an entirely stupid piece of legislation passed by idiot politicians' as he said he was forced to release a 17-year-old youth who was allegedly arrested with an imitation firearm.
The youth appeared charged with possessing an imitation firearm in a public place on December 10.
A police officer connected the accused to the charge and opposed bail.
He told the court that police on patrol in the Glangalliagh Road area saw two males one of them the defendant with plastic glasses with liquid in them.
Police were aware that the youth was wanted for breaching his bail and arrested him.
A search revealed an imitation firearm in the defendant's waist band.
The youth was asked where he got the imitation firearm and said he had bought it for £10 in a shop but wouldn't say where.
The officer said that the youth's bail history 'was easily the worst I have ever seen.'
He said that no one, not even his parents seemed to be able to control the youth.
The police officer said if the youth had pulled the imitation weapon out as police approached he would not like to think what could have happened.
Bail was opposed due to the fact the youth was a danger to himself and the public.
But Judge McElholm hit out at the legislation covering juveniles and said it might 'look goid' saying we don't lock up children but here he had a 17-year-old with an imitation firearm in public.
He said that the youth could have been shot dead very easily and he was putting his own life at risk as well as being a nuisance to the community.
Judge McElholm said 'this thug should be in jail' but he was 'stuck' with the legislation in how to deal with this youth.
The judge said the law was an 'iniquitous, wrong headed piece of legislation' and it was 'a nonsense'.
But he said that there was nothing he could do as if he remanded him in custody the High Court would be critical of that.
He released him on bail to appear again next month.
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