A teenager has appeared in court following a raid in west Dublin in which a gang threatened to cut off a woman's fingers in front of her ten-year-old son.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named because of his youth, has been charged with aggravated burglary and travelling in a stolen BMW on Tuesday last week.

A 17-year-old male has already been charged in connection with the raid, while another teenager who was arrested was released without charge.

The court heard the woman was at home with her ten-year-old son in west Dublin on Tuesday morning last week when she heard a loud bang on the door.

When she went to answer it, five males forced their way in to the house, dragged her into the kitchen, and demanded money.

One of the raiders took a meat cleaver, another took a steak knife. They made threats that they would kill her, chop her fingers off and take her son if they did not get what they wanted.

€30,800 and an iPad were stolen, before the gang left the house in the woman's BMW.

Garda Kieran Kilcoyne said she has been left traumatised.

The 16-year-old male was charged yesterday – Judge John Coughlan refused him bail due to the seriousness of the charges.

The teenager will appear in court again next Tuesday.

Originally posted at 10.30am