A 16-year-old boy who outdrove a Garda helicopter across 100km has received a three-month deferred sentence. 

The boy pleaded guilty to motor theft and dangerous driving on February 24th. 

Dublin’s Children Court heard the teenager stole a Volkswagen Golf in Cabra at roughly 12.05am. 

The owner had been unpacking after returning from a holiday and had left the keys in the car when it was taken from outside their house. 

The teenager led officers in a helicopter on a high-speed chase, covering 100km from Dublin to Longford in about 35 minutes. 

The car eventually crashed after trying to overtake a lorry on the hard shoulder but instead hit into a roundabout. 

Defence solicitor Brian Keenan had said a probation report had raised serious concerns for the teenager, who has been the subject of a Garda Information Message. 

A Garda Information Message is a written warning issued by Gardaí to let people know of a threat to their life. 

The court heard this had impacted the boy's family life, and they had to "move around".