A man who led Gardai on a 17-kilometre pursuit on two disintegrated tyres reaching speeds of more than 160kph has been jailed.

Conor O’Donnell appeared before Letterkenny District Court where in-car Garda footage of the crazy pursuit was shown.

O’Donnell, aged 26, was driving his Nissan Skyline car so fast that a specially-trained Garda driver could not keep up with him.

The accused faced a total of five dangerous driving charges following the pursuit which took place on March 22nd, 2017.

Judge Paul Kelly and members of the public looked at the DVD which showed O’Donnell driving through several townlands in Manorcunningham before return to his home at Drumoghill.

Gardai had initially tried to stop O’Donnell as he left Biddy Friel’s pub in Drumoghill but he evaded them.

Garda Sgt Elaine Gordan then contacted her colleague Marcus O’Dowd who had set up another checkpoint.

O’Donnell turned off his lights and refused to stop for the second checkpoint.

Gardai deployed a stinger device which deflated two of O’Donnell’s tyres but it kept going.

The in-car Garda camera footage showed two of O’Donnell wheels completely disintegrating during the pursuit but he kept driving.

Garda O’Dowd revealed “I’m a trained response driver and I was driving at 160 kph but he was still pulling away from me.”

Garda O’Dowd the stinger device does not puncture the tyre automatically but deflates them gradually after a period of about 3 to 4 kms of driving to stop the car losing control.

He managed to keep on O’Donnell’s tail before the crazed driver pulled in at his own home and went around the back in a bid to avoid arrest.

His mother emerged from the house and tried to obstruct the arrest, according to Garda O’Dowd.

Solicitor for O’Donnell, Mr Frank Dorrian, said his client had earlier passed a breath test for Gardai and was worried about failing another test.

He said he was a professional driver of machinery in Scotland and was worried he would lose his license and his job if he was over the limit.

He added that despite fleeing from Gardai he did not drive over the white line and was not a danger to oncoming traffic.

However, passing sentence, Judge Paul Kelly described O’Donnell’s driving as “truly appalling.”

“He was utterly determined to evade apprehension. There is just no getting away for that and there is no tolerance for that type of behaviour.

“He is fortunate the car remained under some degree of control and that’s due to luck rather than skill,” he said.

He took two of the sample charges of five counts of dangerous driving and sentenced O’Donnell to one month in prison for each with both jail terms to run concurrently.

He also banned O’Donnell from driving for five years.

A Lifford man who was caught with a large baseball bat in his car told Gardai it was for his own protection.

Jordan Porter, aged 22, appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with a number of offences.

He was stopped driving a VW Golf car through Croaghan Heights in Lifford on April 22nd last at 11.40pm.

It followed reports of a large fight in the area between a number of youths using baseball bats and other weapons.

When stopped Porter was breath-tested and was over the limit and also admitted having no insurance on the vehicle.

Gardai found a large black baseball bat in the vehicle and Porter said it was for his own protection as he had been assaulted earlier that night.

Solicitor Frank Dorrian said his client was among a group of young men who had come together to purchase the car and that he was not insured to drive it as yet.

The court heard that Porter has yet to complete a number of community hours service from another incident.

Judge Paul Kelly adjourned the case until July and asked for a Probation Report on Porter.

“I will put it back for a while to see how he shapes up,” said Judge Kelly.

A man who rammed into an unmarked Garda patrol car who had him under surveillance has been jailed for four months.

Gerard Meehan was under observation after he had been reported acting suspiciously outside a premises at The Diamond in Raphoe, Co Donegal.

When Meehan spotted an undercover patrol car being driven by detective Garda Michael Galvin, he reversed onto a road and drove his white van into the Garda car.

The 21-year-old then fled in the direction of Ballindrait reaching speeds of up to 140kph

Meehan, of Lisclamerty, Manorcunningham, was later apprehended, arrested and charged with dangerous driving and causing criminal damage to the Garda car.

Meehan appeared at Letterkenny District Court which heard the ramming happened March 12th, 2017, when the accused was also charged with driving with no insurance.

Defending solicitor, Patsy Gallagher, said the combination of a break-up in a relationship and medical difficulties had sent his client on the path to self-destruction.

Commented Judge Paul Kelly: “I’m not going to tolerate someone deliberately ramming a patrol car and then driving off.”

Judge Kelly said Meehan would get all the help he required to deal with his problems in Castlerea Prison.

On the charge of criminal damage, he jailed Meehan for four months and disqualified him from driving for four years.

Judge Kelly also imposed a four-month sentence on the charge of dangerous driving, disqualifying him for five years.

Fines of €950 were also imposed in relation to separate charges including driving with no insurance.

A man stole a wallet from a taxi driver who had taken him from Convoy to Letterkenny.

Kassim Dembele appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with theft.

Dembele had been living in Convoy but had an address at Woodford Heights in Clondalkin, Dublin.

The court was told that Dembele and another man had taken the taxi but a disagreement ensued with the driver when they arrived in Letterkenny on March 26th last year.

The driver and another man got out of the car but Dembele stayed in the car and took the driver’s wallet.

The wallet, which contained bank cards and other cards, was valued at €100.

Gardai were called and the wallet was found.

Dembele’s solicitor, Mr Kieran Dillon, said his client admitted taking the wallet but could not explain why he did so other than to say he made the “wrong choice.”

Judge Kelly said Dembele had admitted the charge and applied the Probation Act.

A woman who claimed she was doing some “last minute Christmas shopping” was caught drink-driving.

Rebecca Wilkie was stopped by Gardai on December 18th last year after being detected driving in an “erratic manner.”

Ms Wilkie had been out socialising the previous night but her reading, 49 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, was still over the legal limit.

Letterkenny District Court was told that Ms Wilkie, of Dromore, Letterkenny, was doing some last minute Christmas shopping when stopped.

Judge Paul Kelly fined the accused €200 and banned from driving for two years.

A woman, who illegally claimed almost €14,000 in social welfare payments, has been fined €500 in court.

Maighread McCaul, 46, from Ballyduff, Isle of Doagh, Clonmany, was before Carn Court where she admitted several charges relating to an overpayment of social welfare payments over a number of years.

The court heard that Ms. McCaul had received over payments to the amount of €13,774.67.

Prosecuting solicitor for the Department of Social Welfare, Ciaran Liddy, said Ms. McCaul applied for jobseekers allowance in February 2009. However, he said she commenced employment at the end of October 2013 and failed to make a declaration to the Department.

Mr. Liddy said social welfare payments continued until it was detected in April 2016 that Ms. McCaul was in employment.

He said social welfare inspector Morgan Mooney invited Ms. McCaul to attend for interview but the option was not taken up.

Mr. Liddy said no repayments have been made to date but a payment plan had been put in place.

The prosecuting solicitor said the payment arrangement that is in place remains outstanding.

Defence solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn told the court the Department had arranged to deduct €15 a week from her social welfare payments but she had since started another job so when she notified the Department this arrangement changed.

Mr. MacLochlainn said Ms. McCaul had been working in various restaurants and hotels as a chef throughout this time. However he said the work was only available intermittingly and could range from two weeks up to a number of months.

“Unfortunately she didn’t declare the work,” said Mr. MacLochlainn.

“She had been gaining the work through a recruitment agency in Derry, who had been paying her one fee and charging the company another,” he added.

Mr. MacLochlainn said Ms. McCaul was single and lived alone in the Isle of Doagh.

He said her house was suffering from MICA and she had secured a loan of €8,000 from Buncrana Credit Union to carry out works in her home.

“She’s now paying the credit union back €50 per week and there is a motion before the County Registrar to have the home repossessed. Her house is a negative equity and this is all of huge concern to her.

“She’s at a cliff edge and I fear this may push her over the edge. Her finances are disastrous and I’d ask the court to take all this into account when sentencing. It’s not good to be in this situation at her stage in life,” Mr. MacLochlainn added.

The Buncrana solicitor said Ms. McCaul’s mother had been in court with her and she had been a great support to her, adding that her father died last year.

Judge Paul Kelly asked Mr. Liddy how the Department of Social Welfare recover their losses in cases such as these.

The State solicitor said the Department take their own steps to recover the money through deduction to social welfare payments or through civil action if that was needed.

Judge Kelly fined Ms. McCaul €500 and informed her that fine can be paid by instalments.

An Inishowen man had two public order charges against him struck out in court after he admitted making a nuisance of himself.

Sean Doherty, 32, from Carrowmore, Gleneely, was charged with disorderly conduct and intoxication at Annies Bar, Main Street, Moville on April 23, last year when he appeared before Carn District Court.

Garda Inspector David Murphy told the court that Garda Stephen Canning was on duty at Moville Garda Station when he received a report of a person making a nuisance of himself in the Square, Moville.

Insp. Murphy said when Garda Canning located the man, Mr. Doherty, he was in Annies Bar where he was being obstructive to Gardaí and failed to co-operate.

He was cautioned and arrested, with Insp. Murphy adding that he was put into handcuffs due to the level of obstruction.

The court heard Doherty was taken to Letterkenny Garda Station where he was given two fixed penalty notices, which were not paid.

Defence solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn said Mr. Doherty had no previous convictions, was single and lived at home with his mother. However, he said he worked during the week as a plasterer in Dublin and was hard working.

But he said on this occasion Mr. Doherty had ‘too much to drink’ and was not able to control himself due to his intoxication.

“It’s probably not the worst case you have heard,” Mr. MacLochlainn said to Judge Paul Kelly.

“He is willing to pay a charitable donation and hopes to avoid a conviction.”

Judge Kelly agreed that it ‘probably wasn’t the worst case’ but ordered him to pay to pay €150 to St. Vincent de Paul. He said if he did this then he would strike out the charges against him and leave him without a criminal record.

Mr. Doherty complied with the order that day and paid the monies to SVP. Judge Kelly struck out the charges.

A wedding guest, who took his anger out on a hotel room in the Redcastle Hotel after having a row with his partner, will have to pay compensation of more than €700.

Neil Bramwell was charged with criminal damage in Redcastle Hotel on April 21, 2018.

Bramwell appeared at Carndonagh Court, saying he was pleading guilty to the charge before him, adding that he ‘deeply regretted’ what happened.

Garda Inspector David Murphy told the court gardaí received a report from staff at Redcastle Hotel of a disturbance and damage being caused to one of their guest bedrooms.

The manager of the hotel went to the room previously but had been met with an extremely aggressive male so Gardaí were contacted.

Insp. Murphy outlined that Garda Conor Mulkerrins went to the hotel shortly after 10pm and went to the room along with the hotel manager.

However, on route to the room they met the male [Neil Bramwell], who had been identified by the manager, in the hallway.

“The man had calmed down a lot by this stage,” Insp. Murphy told the court.

“He damaged curtain rails, broke a bedside lamp, there was a hole in the ceiling as well as other damage.”

Insp. Murphy said Bramwell had been a guest at a wedding in the hotel but had a disagreement with his partner and went back to the room where the disturbance continued.

“He admitted he lost his temper as a result of the dispute and took his anger out on the hotel room,” said Insp. Murphy.

“He said he punched the ceiling, causing the hole, and admitted causing the damage.”

The court heard that Bramwell was then arrested and taken to Buncrana Garda Station where he made full admissions when cautioned by Gda. Mulkerrins.

Insp. Murphy said Redcastle Hotel estimated that damage done to the room amount to €705, adding that the room was out of use for five nights while the damage was repaired.

Speaking in Carn Court last Tuesday, Bramwell said he ‘deeply regretted’ his actions and apologised for his behaviour, adding that he wanted to make amends.

“I deeply regret what happened and I’ve come here today to make amends for my actions and pay for the damage,” said Mr. Bramwell.

“I want to pay £50 per week until the debt is paid off.”

Judge Paul Kelly questioned his payment plan idea saying that it would take him a long time to pay the balance at a rate of £50 per week.

Mr. Bramwell said he had limited means, had to pay child support and was homeless at present living in emergency accommodation which cost him £60 per week.

He said he was doing his best to hold down a job, adding that he worked in construction in Antrim, earning £400 a week.

Judge Kelly asked Inspector Murphy if he knew what the hotel’s attitude was to the situation however the Buncrana Inspector said he was unaware as it was a relatively fresh issue and Gda. Mulkerrins was still investigating.

Judge Kelly agreed to adjourn the case until July 17 to see what progress was being made on repaying the compensation.

He warned Mr. Bramwell that he must be able to show him that he is making payments every week.

Two women who advertised a household cleaning service on Facebook but “cleaned” out a client’s house of almost €2,000 in personal items have escaped going to jail.

Chloe Colsh and Anne Marie Dunphy appeared at Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with theft.

The women had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges and have since paid compensation to the woman they robbed. 

Victim Carol Doherty came across the accused women at Letterkenny Bus station after they had cleaned out her house at Illistrin Little on March 4th, 2017.

The victim noticed that the two women had some of her personal belongings with them.

She confronted them and the women fled and when Ms Doherty returned to her home in Kilmacrennan, she discovered numerous items had been taken.

The list included a Nintendo DS, a child’s gold ring, an Apple iPod, a silver necklace, a Google Nexus tablet and a Samsung camera.

It was estimated that the stolen property was valued at up to €2,000 but some of the stolen items had since been recovered.

The court heard that many of the items had been traded in locally at a shop.

Ms Doherty tried to contact the two women through Facebook messenger but they blocked her messages.

The pair, Colsh, aged 20, and Dunphy, aged 28, who are originally from the Midlands, moved to Donegal where they had an address together at Forest Park, Killygordon.

Solicitor for the women, Mr Gordon Curley, said all compensation had now been paid to Ms Doherty.

He said the women had come up with the scheme in order to make some money as they had none and that this was their first jobs.

They advertised their services on Facebook and charged €25 per home.

Judge Paul Kelly said having read the Probation Reports on both women and having heard all compensation was paid, he would apply the Probation Act in both cases.

The court heard that another man involved in the case, who is understood to have sold on the property, will appear in court in September.

A man spat in the face of a Garda after telling her he hoped she was killed in the line of duty like her tragic colleague.

Mark Fair appeared before Letterkenny District Court on alleged motoring offences.

Garda Michelle Kelly told the court that Fair was stopped by Gardai at 9.46pm on May 23rd last at Justice Walsh Road.

When stopped, Fair, aged 26, allegedly launched a tirade of abuse against the Garda.

It was alleged he said “I hope the same thing happens to you that happened to Garda Robbie McCallion.”

He then spat at Garda Kelly.

The late Garda Robbie McCallion was killed when he went to stop two men stealing a car at Tara Court, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, on March 26th, 2009.

Garda McCallion, from Mayo, was struck by the car and died from his injuries a few days later on April 7th.

His death sent shockwaves throughout the Garda community and a special plaque to the fallen officer was erected at Letterkenny Garda station.

Fair, of Balinahone, Fahan, was arrested and taken to Letterkenny Garda station.

He was interviewed and a number of charges put to him by Garda Michelle Kelly.

He replied by launching into a number of claims that he had sex with a female Garda and that the incident had been caught on camera.

Fair then claimed that his arrest was simply out of revenge.

Judge Paul Kelly said “The first comment (re the late Garda McCallion) was utterly despicable and the others were not much better.”

Solicitor Frank Dorrian asked for disclosure in the case and requested an adjournment which Judge Kelly granted until September 24th next.

A case involving a Donegal priest charged with drink driving has been adjourned for the 11th time.

Fr Denis Quinn, whose address has been given as Parochial House, Falcarragh, is accused of drink driving on Main Street Letterkenny on March 29, 2014.

Fr Quinn (57) was not present at Falcarragh District Court, but was represented by solicitor Sean Canon.

A brief hearing was conducted in Irish by Mr Canon.

The case, adjourned ten times previously, has been put back to 19th September.

A case of alleged drink driving and hit-and-run against a Donegal Senator has been adjourned again.

Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill (40) of Killult, Falcarragh, was not present at Falcarragh District Court when the case was mentioned briefly.

Senator Ó Domhnaill faces four charges out of an alleged incident at Tullyhay, Letterkenny on September 2, 2013.

The charges include drink driving, hit and run failing to report an occurrence, hit and run failing to remain at the scene and hit and run failing to give appropriate information.

Solicitor for Ó Domhnaill, John Canon, addressed the court in Irish, during the brief hearing.

Mr Canon applied to have the case adjourned until later in the year.

Former Fianna Fáil Senator Ó Domhnaill resigned from the past in 2016 and is now an Independent Senator.

Judge Paul Kelly granted the adjournment to 19th September.

The case has now been adjourned 14 times since 2015.

A Fanad man, who became ‘agitated and angry’ after being ejected from a Letterkenny nightclub has been fined and bound to the peace for a year. 

Mark Friel (28), with an address in Bristol, was charged with assaulting a member of the security staff at Voodoo in Letterkenny.

Friel was alleged to have shouted ‘Polish b******’ at one of the stewards before swinging an elbow and connecting with another steward.

“He was highly intoxicated and argumentative,” Garda Joe English told Letterkenny District Court.

“He was arrested can charged. He became abusive to the staff after being ejected. He did apologise for his behaviour on the night.”

Solicitor for Friel, Mr Frank Dorrian, said his client became ‘agitated and angry because of a slight he perceived had been visited on him’.

“It’s the type of thing that happens in a struggle and it appears the case that something happened to trigger this,” Mr Dorrian said.

“By the time he was leaving the Garda Station, he was no longer aggressive and he did all that he could to bring it back.

“He was out on an evening with a lady friend and had too much to drink. Someone struck him without warning as he was leaving the premises. His demeanour was affected by alcohol and he engaged with the stewards.

“He is otherwise well disposed and is in full-time employment as a fisherman. He considers this to be an aberration.”

Dorrian has ten previous convictions and Judge Paul Kelly advised that he ‘would need to watch himself’.

“He has an unattractive catalogue that shows a tendency for getting into too much trouble.”

Friel was fined €200 and bound to keep the peace for 12 months on his own bond of €200.

Gardaí feared for their safety after being led on a high-speed chase along side roads outside Letterkenny.

James Clarke (55) of Magherahane, Raphoe, was not present in Letterkenny District Court to answer charges arising out of the incident on Monday, July 24, 2017.

A report of a black Opel Corsa driving erratically on the N14 from Lifford to Letterkenny was made to Letterkenny Garda Station. Garda Glennon and Garda Murphy responded to the call.

Garda Glennon said he came across the vehicle at 2.10am and noted how it was ‘veering from side to side’.

“I pulled the patrol car left onto the hard shoulder in case the vehicle collided with the patrol car,” he said.

“I did a u-turn and came behind it at Raymochy. It was veering over and back, across the hard shoulder and a short distance across the white line.”

Garda Glennon activated the blue lights and siren, but the car failed to stop and took a left turn at Pluck. During the pursuit, the Gardaí alerted the control room and Sergeant Barrett proceeded towards their location in the patrol van.

“As we approached the Trimragh junction, Sergeant Barrett had the van pulled across the junction with the blue lights activated, but a very short distance prior to it, at the last second, he (Clarke) veered left and continued in the direction of Dromore,” Garda Glennon said.

“He continued to drive erratically on a very minor road with sharp turns and blind corners.

“There are a number of speed bumps and he continued to drive at 60-70km/ph. He almost lost control and collided with a ditch at one point.”

At the junction at Drummany, at the bottom of Lurgybrack, Sergeant Barrett had the road blocked off with the van, but Clarke ‘swerved onto the grass verge’ to get around the van.

The pursuit continued on the N13 towards Ballybofey before Gardaí booked the Corsa in at Listillion.

Clarke accelerated in an attempt to get through the gap between the van and car, colliding with the Garda car in the process.

“I could feel the force the engine was revving at as he was stuck against the wing,” Garda Glennon said.

“He was revving as high as he could go. Garda Murphy exited the patrol car. I shouted to Garda Murphy to get back. I was concerned he’d get crushed between the two cars. Garda Murphy managed to open the door and pull out the car key.”

Gardaí detected a strong smell of intoxicating liquor from Clarke, who was handcuffed and arrested.

Clarke informed Gardaí that he could not provide a breath sample due to a breathing difficulty. A doctor, Aikaterini Laguoumit, arrived from NowDoc and Clarke questioned the doctor’s qualification.

Garda O’Hanlon said Clarke became ‘very red faced and abusive’ while in custody.

Damage totalling €1,922 was found on the patrol car, though some of that was damage to the rear of the vehicle from an unrelated incident.

Judge Paul Kelly convicted Clarke in his absence and issued a bench warrant for sentencing.

A 20-year-old woman who went on ‘a spree of offending’ over a 16-month period has been sentenced to four months in prison.

Sarah Mihai, of 41 Hazelbrook Crescent, Long Lane, Letterkenny, had pleaded guilty to the charges which dated from July, 2016 to November, 2017.

Mihai was charged with 11 thefts and four burglaries during the period.

Among Mihai’s offences began were the theft with the theft of property to the value of €50 from a barbers in the Courtyard Shopping Centre on July 9, 2016.

Further offences included the theft of a Simon Community Collection Box, containing around €150, from the All Seasons Charity Shop in Ballybofey, when she was accompanied by an older female, who distracted staff.

Mihai was detained by security staff at St Conal’s Hospital after removing a purse from a handbag that was held in an office to which she gained entry. Mihai gave Gardai a false name and address when apprehended on that occasion.

Mihai admitted to the theft of €300 in mixed coins and two cartons of cigarettes, worth €178, after gaining entry to an office at John Mac’s Mace in Stranorlar on October 22, 2017.

Mihai took a purse from a locker in the staff area of the Coffee Factory and used a card to make contactless payments at a number of locations, while she was apprehended by Gardaí after removing 14 €50 notes from the till of Centra at Main Street Ballybofey on November 6, 2017.

“Given that they were committed over this length of time and in nearly every case there was considerable pre-mediation and planning, I can’t dispose of this in the manner suggested in the probation report,” Judge Paul Kelly said at Letterkenny District Court.

Mihai was given a total of four months in prison and fined a total of €750.

Recognisance in the event of an appeal was set on Mihai’s own bond of €200.

A Convoy man convicted of the unauthorised taking of a mechanically propelled vehicle from a premises in Killygordon has escaped a driving ban.

Wade Carson (23) of 41 Townparks Convoy, was before Letterkenny District Court having been charged with the unauthorised taking of an MPV from Cavan Lower, Killygordon on November 3, 2016.

Carson also faced charges of dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving without a driving licence on November 4, 2016.

Judge Paul Kelly placed Carson on a 12-month probation supervision bond of €250 and ordered him to enter into a driving course.

Judge Kelly said he was not applying a two-year disqualification upon Carson following an incident that saw three people, including Carson, injured.

He fined the defendant €200, giving him four months to pay.

Recognisance in the event of an appeal was set on Carson’s own bond of €400.

A Judge has issued a bench warrant for a Donegal man, who failed to turn in court with compensation for a young boxer who quit the sport due to injuries received in an assault.

Dean Hanlon (22), of Dooen, Newmills, Letterkenny, had been ordered in April to pay €1,000 to Matthew Hanlon, who was injured in an innocent at the Lagoon Bar, Termon on December, 20, 2014.

Solicitor for Dean Hanlon, Patsy Gallagher, said the most his client could come up with was €300. Mr Gallagher said his client was due to be in court, but he was unable to make contact with the defendant.

Matthew Hanlon told the court that he had been due to represent Ulster in a boxing tournament against a team from Boston at the time of the assault in 2015.

At a previous sitting of Letterkenny District Court, Matthew Hanlon told how he withdrew as a result of the injuries, which included a fractured jaw and cheekbone, swelling and bruising to his left eye, a fractured nasal bone and a soft tissue injury to his jaw.

Another dependance in the case had been dealt with at another venue and compensation had been paid.

Judge Kelly issued a bench warrant for Dean Hanlon.

A Donegal man has been ordered to pay €4,000 to the victim of an assault and given a total of 180 hours of community service.

Wesley McKnight (24), with addresses in Milford and Muff, was sentenced for incidents in June, 2014 and October 2016.

McKnight punched a Honda Civic belonging to Raymond Murray in June 2014, causing €250 worth of damage. McKnight, Letterkenny District Court heard, had a previous conviction from October 2015 of assault causing harm to the same injured party.

McKnight said he did not have the €250 in court as he was not presently working.

“It’ll be August or September,” he told the Court.

Judge Paul Kelly, noting that the injured party had been out the money for ‘a considerable length of time’, fined McKnight €200, giving him four months to pay and also imposted a compensation order of €250, giving him eight months to pay.

For an incident in October 2016, McKnight wads charged with criminal damage and assault.

On the criminal damage charge, McKnight was handed 40 hours of community service and a compensation order of €293 imposed, in lieu of two months imprisonment.

McKnight was also given 60 hours of community service, in lieu of three months imprisonment for a section two assault charge.

For an assault on Rebecca Ward on the same day, McKnight was given 80 hours of community service, in lieu of four months in prison while Judge Kelly made a compensation order of €4,000, giving McKnight 12 months to pay.

A Donegal man has been sentenced to four months in prison and banned from driving for ten years after what a Judge called ‘one of the most outrageous chases’.

Danny McBride, from Carrigart, appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with 18 counts of dangerous driving following a 22km chase between Kilmacrennan and Carrigart.

A Volkswagen Caddy driven by McBride sped through Kilmacrennan at a speed in excess of 90km/h and led Gardaí on a pursuit, during which the defendant went through junctions without stopping and with the lights switched off.

“This case caused me a lot of difficulty,” Judge Paul Kelly said.

“This was one of the most outrageous chases, for 22km on a series of roads, main and back, and through villages.

“It was marked by a number of occasions where he narrowly avoided colliding with oncoming vehicles.

“At one stage sparks were flying and debris from the vehicle hit the patrol car. He drove through stop signs at speed, turned off the lights and went through a junction.”

Judge Kelly considered a probation report and a number of references that were submitted.

Judge Kelly said: “Given the nature of the chase, I cannot deal with it in another way but a custodial sentence.”

On a dangerous driving charge at Kilmacrennan, McBride was sentenced to four months in prison and disqualified from driving for two years.

For a dangerous driving charge at Kilconnell, Kilmacrennan, McBride was sentenced to four months in prison, to be served concurrent, and was disqualified from driving for four years.

Judge Kelly handed down a six-month suspended sentence, subject to conditions, for a dangerous driving charge at Casheleenan, Kilmacrennan. The sentence was suspended for two years.

McBride was also given a six-month suspended sentence and disqualified from driving for four yeas for a dangerous driving charge at Letterfad, Kilmacrennan.

Judge Kelly, in light of McBride’s plea, took the remaining charges into consideration.

Recognisance in the event of an appeal was set at McBride’s own bond of €750.

A young farmer has been banned from driving after being caught driving a tractor for several hundred yards while already disqualified.

Craig Anderson was stopped by Gardai driving a red Fiat tractor at Ballindrait, Raphoe in Co Donegal on June 2nd last.

Garda received information that the 26-year-old was driving on lands while working for his uncle while banned from being behind the wheel.

He was arrested and admitted to driving while disqualified.

Letterkenny District Court heard Anderson of Hillcrest, Aughawee, Lifford, Lifford, was previously banned from driving for two years in July, 2017 for drink-driving.

His solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, told the court that he was travelling between fields working for his uncle and only drove for several hundred yards.

He said “The information was passed on to Gardai by a third party. There are land issues here.”

Judge Paul Kelly said the accused should not have been driving and there was a blatant disregard to the fact that he was already banned.

“He should not have been on the road. It was a blatant disregard,” he said.

He fined Anderson €250 for not having insurance and a further €250 for driving while disqualified and disqualified him for two years on that charge.

“If he is caught again, he will be going to jail,” added Judge Kelly.