Boy had stun gun when caught dealing drugs, court told

A 13-year-old Dublin boy was caught with €2,000 worth of drugs and was armed with a stun gun disguised as a torch, a court has heard.

The boy, now 14, was charged with dealing cannabis, crack cocaine and heroin, as well as carrying the weapon which is classed as a firearm.

He appeared before Judge Brendan Toale at the Dublin Children's Court.

Garda Ciaran O’Neill told the court he was on routine patrol when he spotted the teenager “in what I suspected to be a drug transaction”.

It happened on a date in June 2019 in west Dublin.

Disguised as torch

The teenager was stopped and searched and a quantity of cannabis was found on him. He was taken to a Garda station for further search. Heroin worth €965, along with crack cocaine valued €263 and about €60 of cannabis was recovered. The stun gun was also seized.

Garda O’Neill explained to the court the weapon was disguised as a torch “but the top would emit a large electric shock of some sort that would incapacitate you”.

Garden package

The court heard the teenager was spotted again two months later. He discarded a package in a garden but it was retrieved and was found to contain two packets of crack cocaine, 14 wraps of heroin and a bag of cannabis. The total street value of this seizure was €615, the court heard. The boy was brought back to the Garda station and was found to be carrying €225 in cash.

Judge Toale adjourned the case until a date in February.

The boy, who was accompanied to court by his mother, remains on bail.