Latest news with #LetterkennyDistrictCourt
Sunday World
4 hours ago
- Sunday World
Driver who did doughnuts in front of gardai before chase to border gets suspended sentence
Ben Murray appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with dangerous driving. A young driver caught doing doughnuts before 'fishtailing' in front of Gardai and trying to outrun them by heading for the border to escape has been given a suspended jail sentence. Ben Murray appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with dangerous driving. The court heard that Murray, now 25, was attending his first Donegal International Rally in June, 2024. Gardai had called to Drumbarnett, Manorcunningham after complaints from the public that the road had been blocked and a number of cars were doing doughnuts just before midnight. When Gardai arrived, they observed a Lexus is200 performing doughnuts and activated their blue lights. The driver of the car then fishtailed in front of the patrol car forcing Gardai to reverse their patrol vehicle to avoid being hit. The Lexus sped off but was apprehended in the early hours of the following morning heading for the border. Letterkenny District Court News in 90 Seconds - June 20th The driver, Ben Murray, aged 25, was arrested and was apologetic to Gardai. His solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said Murray was attending his first rally and was "showing off for friends." He had made admissions and the car was lifted and his father and uncle had to come and collect the student, added the solicitor. Judge Ciaran Liddy asked the court if Murray, of Carlton Drive, Strabane, Co Tyrone, had any previous convictions. Sergeant Jim Collins said he had one previous conviction for drug driving and had been disqualified for one year. Judge Liddy noted that Murray was only back on the road for five months when this incident occurred. "This man is looking at a jail sentence," said the Judge. Mr Gallagher said he was asking the court to take a more diplomatic approach adding it was "one stupid mistake." His client has now adopted a serious attitude to the incident and 'he should have acted more appropriately', he added. Mr Gallagher said that there was an impression given that Murray was 'aiming for the border', but told the court that it was not an evasive situation. 'There was no chase or otherwise,' he said, adding that the is200 has been moved on. He said Murray is doing a traineeship for cranes and has his preliminary tests done and planned to go to Scandinavia to finish that process. Mr Gallagher asked the court to consider reducing the charge to one of careless driving and to consider Murray's early plea. 'The shock of being here has had a very awakening effect on him,' Mr Gallagher said. Judge Ciaran Liddy said that the road was blocked deliberately to 'facilitate boy racer activity involving this man performing a fishtail manoeuvre on the public highway'. Judge Liddy noted that a Garda patrol car had to take evasive action to avoid being struck and that Murray proceeded to drive towards Derry. He said Murray was only just back on the road having concluded a driving ban for drink-driving only six months previously. Judge Liddy said: 'It is clear that he learned very little from his experience in court on the previous occasion.' Judge Liddy said that only for Murray having been 'well advised' to plead guilty he would be imposing an immediate custodial sentence. Murray was handed a six-month prison sentence that was suspended for two years. Murray was also disqualified from driving for two years and fined €300.
Irish Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Driver doing doughnuts & 'fishtailing' before Gardaí at rally event avoids jail
A young driver caught doing doughnuts before 'fishtailing' in front of Gardaí and trying to outrun them by heading for the border to escape has been given a suspended jail sentence. Ben Murray appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with dangerous driving. The court heard that Murray, now 25, was attending his first Donegal International Rally in June, 2024. Gardaí had called to Drumbarnett, Manorcunningham after complaints from the public that the road had been blocked and a number of cars were doing doughnuts just before midnight. When Gardaí arrived, they observed a Lexus is200 performing doughnuts and activated their blue lights. The driver of the car then fishtailed (defined as a vehicle making an uncontrolled sideways movement) in front of the patrol car, forcing Gardaí to reverse their patrol vehicle to avoid being hit. The Lexus sped off but was apprehended in the early hours of the following morning heading for the border. The driver, Ben Murray, aged 25, was arrested and was apologetic to Gardaí. His solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said Murray was attending his first rally and was "showing off for friends". He had made admissions and the car was lifted and his father and uncle had to come and collect the student, added the solicitor. Judge Ciaran Liddy asked the court if Murray, of Carlton Drive, Strabane, Co Tyrone, had any previous convictions. Sergeant Jim Collins said he had one previous conviction for drug driving and had been disqualified for one year. Judge Liddy noted that Murray was only back on the road for five months when this incident occurred. "This man is looking at a jail sentence," said the Judge. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week Mr Gallagher said he was asking the court to take a more diplomatic approach, adding that it was "one stupid mistake". His client has now adopted a serious attitude to the incident and 'he should have acted more appropriately', he added. Mr Gallagher said that there was an impression given that Murray was 'aiming for the border', but told the court that it was not an evasive situation. 'There was no chase or otherwise,' he said, adding that the is200 has been moved on. He said Murray is doing a traineeship for cranes and has his preliminary tests done and planned to go to Scandinavia to finish that process. Mr Gallagher asked the court to consider reducing the charge to one of careless driving and to consider Murray's early plea. 'The shock of being here has had a very awakening effect on him,' Mr Gallagher said. Judge Ciaran Liddy said that the road was blocked deliberately to 'facilitate boy racer activity involving this man performing a fishtail manoeuvre on the public highway'. Judge Liddy noted that a Garda patrol car had to take evasive action to avoid being struck and that Murray proceeded to drive towards Derry. He said Murray was only just back on the road having concluded a driving ban for drink-driving only six months previously. Judge Liddy said: 'It is clear that he learned very little from his experience in court on the previous occasion.' Judge Liddy said that only for Murray having been 'well advised' to plead guilty, he would be imposing an immediate custodial sentence. Murray was handed a six-month prison sentence that was suspended for two years. Murray was also disqualified from driving for two years and fined €300.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man found in sister's garden shed with knife after her car was damaged is jailed
A Co Donegal man who was found in his sister's garden shed with a long bladed knife after her car was damaged has been jailed for 10 months. Ryan Campbell appeared before Letterkenny District Court charged with trespassing with a knife, weapon of offence or other article on December 8, 2024. The charge is contrary to section 10 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990. The 25-year-old was also charged with one count of criminal damage. Garda Sergeant Jim Collins outlined the details of the case to the court. He said that at 5.50am on December 8, 2024, a woman contacted Gardai to say two males were banging on her front door at Forest Park in Killygordon. Her car alarm was going off and she noted that one of the men was her brother, Ryan Campbell. After initially calling to the woman's home, Gardai returned a short time later and located two males in a shed, one of whom was Campbell, who was in possession of a seven-inch kitchen knife. Sergeant Collins said that when he was arrested, he sobered up and later apologised over the incident. Campbell's solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said his client had recently been sentenced to four years in prison at Letterkenny Circuit Court and now wanted this matter sorted also. Mr Gallagher added that his client now has four years to look back and hopefully rehabilitate. Campbell was sentenced by Judge John Aylmer after he pleaded guilty to slashing his victim Robert Kennedy with a blade while the victim was celebrating his 50th birthday in July, 2022. Mr Kennedy was left with scars which he will have to live with for the rest of his life, the court was told. He had to undergo plastic surgery and suffered significant scarring to his neck and ear described by a medic as "serious disfiguration" in the terrifying incident. Campbell was initially charged with intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Mr Kennedy, but he entered a plea of guilty to a charge of assault causing harm, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. Sentencing Campbell for this latest incident, Judge Ciaran Liddy imposed a 10-month prison sentence for having an offensive weapon and took the criminal damage charge into account.
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Sunday World
Motorist was driving with EIGHT people on bonnet and roof of car during rally weekend
The solicitor added that the accused man's family are distraught at what has happened and said it was inexcusable Gardai and PSNI at the launch of a road safety plan for Donegal Rally weekend last year A young man who had EIGHT people on the roof and bonnet of his car while he was driving in Co Donegal has been ordered to make a €750 donation to charity. Brian Mordaunt appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with dangerous driving during the weekend of the Donegal International Rally on June 21, 2024. Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that a number of videos emerged on Snapchat of the bizarre incident. Gardai became aware of the incident and stopped Mordaunt in his car at a later stage. Gardai and PSNI at the launch of a road safety plan for Donegal Rally weekend last year News in 90 Seconds - June 17 The 19-year-old, who has no previous convictions, made full admissions and was apologetic to gardai, the court was told. Pictures of the car with the eight people hanging out of it were handed into court. Solicitor for the accused, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said his client's family are 'distraught' after the incident. Mordaunt, who is from Clerihan, Clonmel in Co Tipperary, is an apprentice electrician. He was in Co Donegal for the Donegal International Rally when the incident occurred at Pearse Road on June 21 last year. Mr Gallagher said he had viewed the videos and said it was difficult to know if Mordaunt's car was actually moving or not and it certainly was not driving at any speed. He suggested the case was at the lower end of the dangerous driving levels and that his client does realise that what he did was stupid and that he had had full and frank conversations with his family about the matter. The solicitor added that the accused man's family are distraught at what has happened and said it was inexcusable. "It is certainly not a situation where the family are taking this lightly," added Mr Gallagher. Replying, Sergeant Collins said the evidence was that the car was certainly moving but not at any great speed. Judge Ciaran Liddy said he would adjourn the case until September 15 to allow Mordaunt to make a donation of €750 to Cara House and pay a fine of €250. If that is done, he said he will consider reducing the charge to one of careless driving and will also consider not disqualifying the accused.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man who had 8 people on car's roof and bonnet ordered to make charity donation
A young man who had eight people on the roof and bonnet of his car while he was driving in Co Donegal has been ordered to make a €750 donation to charity. Brian Mordaunt appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with dangerous driving during the weekend of the Donegal International Rally on June 21, 2024. Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that a number of videos emerged on Snapchat of the bizarre incident. Gardai became aware of the incident and stopped Mordaunt in his car at a later stage. The 19-year-old, who has no previous convictions, made full admissions and was apologetic to Gardai, the court was told. Pictures of the car with the eight people hanging out of it were handed into court. Solicitor for the accused, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said his client's family are 'distraught' after the incident. Mordaunt, who is from Clerihan, Clonmel in Co Tipperary, is an apprentice electrician. He was in Co Donegal for the Donegal International Rally when the incident occurred at Pearse Road on June 21 last year. Mr Gallagher said he had viewed the videos and said it was difficult to know if Mordaunt's car was actually moving or not and it certainly was not driving at any speed. He suggested the case was at the lower end of the dangerous driving levels and that his client does realise that what he did was stupid and that he had had full and frank conversations with his family about the matter. The solicitor added that the accused man's family are distraught at what has happened and said it was inexcusable. "It is certainly not a situation where the family are taking this lightly," added Mr Gallagher. Replying, Sergeant Collins said the evidence was that the car was certainly moving but not at any great speed. Judge Ciaran Liddy said he would adjourn the case until September 15 to allow Mordaunt to make a donation of €750 to Cara House and pay a fine of €250. If that is done, he said he will consider reducing the charge to one of careless driving and will also consider not disqualifying the accused.
