Teen accused of threatening ill pensioner with hatchet in Athlone
A midlands teenager has been accused of threatening to “crack” an elderly woman’s skull with a hatchet over her son’s alleged €50 drug debt during a burglary at her home in August.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, appeared via videolink before Judge Bernadette Owens at Athlone District Court today (Wednesday), where it was heard files are still being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The court previously heard evidence of how the teenager has no previous convictions, but was already on bail for knife possession charges when, on August 13, he allegedly turned up at the pensioner’s home, banging on her door and shouting, “I want my fucking money”.
At a lengthy bail hearing in Mullingar a number of weeks ago, Judge Michael Connellan heard from Garda Gavin Conway that the teenager was a “very dangerous young man” who was “out of control” due to his own drug use and a desire to cover what the court was told was his father’s €50,000 drug debt.
The court heard how the teen had allegedly taken a hatchet from his own home and gone to the property at Clonbrusk in Athlone, where he started to bang on the door.
When the door was opened by the elderly woman, it is alleged he forced his way inside and held the hatchet to her head. The woman, who suffers from pulmonary heart failure, informed him that she is of ill health and he allegedly said “I don’t care, I will crack your skull anyway.”
The teen was looking for the woman’s son over a €50 drug debt, the court heard, and it is alleged he told the pensioner that, if she didn’t pay her son’s debt, he would target her daughter.
It is alleged he then left the property and started to hit a vehicle belonging to the woman’s daughter, smashing the car’s rear lights.
The woman previously outlined to the court how she is “living in fear since it happened”, describing the ordeal as “very traumatic”.
Later that same day, it is alleged the teen entered a shop in Athlone Town Centre after hours via a back door. There, it is alleged he stole €400, before removing a black safe from the floor and taking it from the premises. He is also charged with stealing a mobile phone from the shop. The safe was later recovered by Gardaí.
He was arrested, detained and made full admissions, the court heard, and the hatchet was recovered in his bedroom.
The teen was initially denied bail by Judge Connellan at Mullingar District Court, but was later granted High Court bail by Mr Justice Mícheál P O’Higgins, who heard that the teen had been “immersed” in drug use for the past year and was in care accommodation.
The court was assured that alternative accommodation in a different county was available to the teenager and he was granted bail, subject to a number of conditions, including that he not leave his accommodation unaccompanied.
Since being granted bail, further charges have been brought against the teen, including a number of burglary charges at various locations, all on August 30, 2026.
The teen’s bail was revoked following these charges and he remains in the custody of Oberstown Children’s Detention Centre.
Other charges against the teen include possession of a Stanley bladed knife and a canister of pepper spray on September 4 of last year at Creoige, Athlone.
He is also facing a public order charge arising from an incident at Athlone Town Centre on June 22 of this year, as well as a charge of criminal damage at Moate Retirement Village on October 15 of last year, and possession of knives and other articles at Marine View, Athlone, on June 28 of this year.
Sergeant Paul McNally informed the court that files are being prepared on all charges and requested a further adjournment to allow time to complete those.
Judge Owens directed an updated probation report and proceeded to remand the teenager in detention for a further two weeks, stating that she expects progress on his next appearance.
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