Kildare court: Released from state care, now homeless

A judge became visibly shocked and angry when he found out that a young man who just turned 18 years old was now homeless.

Judge Desmond Zaidan was told by the man on Thursday, January 26, that while he is still in after-care, he was unable to secure accommodation, 'due to the housing crisis.'

Judge Zaidan shook his head in disbelief when he heard this.

The defendant added that he slept rough in Naas the night before the court case.

The man was accused of multiple counts of criminal damage and of threatening staff at a former care centre with a knife on three different dates in 2020.

When it was heard that his father was present in the court with him, the judge asked him why his son was put into care, to which the father replied: "Because I had difficulties with alcohol myself (at the time)."

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Although it was heard the man failed to engage with the probation services, but had no previous convictions, Judge Zaidan said he would 'take a huge risk' and, enacted the Probation Act.

The judge also urged the man’s barrister Mark Gibbons, to get in contact with his client’s after care worker, and warned the man to 'get a grip' on his life.

SECOND TESTIMONY

Later that day, another defendant, who sat in court while the previous case was being heard, also said that he had previously been in State care, and claimed that he didn’t have an after-care plan put in place for him when he left State care.

In response, Judge Zaidan said: "Prime Time (on RTÉ) should investigate this issue.

"It would be interesting (to see) what they find," he added.