'I just don't know what to do' says desperate mum of Longford teen

The woman who stood beside her her son, David Nevin, of 8 Camlin Meadows, Longford, at a district court sitting last week said she was at a loss as to how to keep a lid on a dispute which has resulted in a number of violent incidents spilling out onto the streets of Longford town.

“I just don't know what to do,” she said, while seeking the court's help in easing tensions between what she termed as the “Longford boys and Edgeworthstown boys”.

Her son, David Nevin, was among a group of three people served with books of evidence last week in connection to an incident at the beginning of May.

Among the four charges Mr Nevin stands accused of include assault during which the teenager is alleged to have produced a clawhammer.

The youngster, the court heard, has been in custody since July 13 and served “two separate tranches” behind bars totalling 120 days.

His solicitor Frank Gearty said Mr Nevin would be tendering guilty pleas to “other matters” before the court.

Mr Gearty said the teenager was fully acceptive of receiving a custodial sentence to those charges in order to allow him to continue with his own rehabilitation.

This was based largely, he added, on the fact a “reasonable” probation report had been handed in.

Upon reading the contents of that report, Judge Bernadette Owens said there was a certain level of merit in the stance the accused was willing to take.

“Mr Nevin can’t access all of the possible services that might be of benefit to him because is on remand,” she said .
“If he is sentenced his (prison) status changes and they become more available to him.”

Mr Gearty agreed, saying Judge Owens had “lots of firepower” at her disposal to do just that, revealing how Mr Nevin had served 52 days and a further 68 days in prison on remand.

Among the charges Mr Nevin pleaded guilty to included a violent disorder incident at a Longford town secondary school last year.

The court had previously heard evidence of how Mr Nevin had been among a seven person gang that tried to attack a young boy on the grounds of St Mel’s College on April 12, 2021.

That came as a consequence of what the court heard was “60 seconds of madness” and had stemmed from “ongoing animosity” between two groups of youths.

In a bid to evade those chasing him, the pupil sought refuge in the principal’s office while the school’s principal at the time tried to wrestle an iron bar from one of those involved.

Mr Gearty described the incident as a “shameful episode” and was fully cognisant of his role in the affair.

“He acknowledges that and was vulnerable to tagging along and being led by others, but to takes full responsibility for his actions on that occasion,” he said.

The teenager also pleaded guilty to being in possession of shoes worth €370, property which was later found to be stolen.

He similarly pleaded guilty to an incident on June 23 last after the accused was seen acting suspiciously in the Harbour View area of Longford town.

Sgt Mahon said when gardaí arrived he was searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A small quantity of cannabis was retrieved and seized by gardaí, something which the court heard led to the accused to start shouting and roaring at both officers.

Sgt Mahon said Mr Nevin yelled he would “box the heads off them”.

Sgt Mahon said Mr Nevin then asked for half of the alleged cannabis back, but when gardaí refused, the accused shouted for a second time: “I will box the heads off ye if you don't give my weed back.”

It was at that point, the court heard Mr Nevin ran towards the garda patrol car and spat in the passenger side door of the car before fleeing.

Mr Gearty accepted his client had been caught “green handed” on the day of the incident.

“He shouldn't have done what he did and was at his worst but he has given a commitment to get himself right,” he remarked.
In determining sentence, Judge Owens said she had taken credence of a probation report before the court.

“David hasn't been found to be a shrinking violet,” she said.

“He was front and centre in the commission of these offences.”

She sentenced him to five months in prison for the St Mel's violent disorder incident and four months for the Harbour View incident, with both prison terms to run consecutively.

The latter term was suspended for a period of 12 months subject to Mr Nevin remaining under the supervision of the probation services.

All of the other charges were taken into consideration.