DISTRICT COURT ROUND-UP
From our reporter at Sligo Courthouse
Assault accused is sent for trial
A Sligo man has been returned at the district court for trial at the next sitting of the circuit court.
In a new development, the book of evidence regarding 30-year-old Jamie Farrell, Glendallon, Ballytivnan, Sligo, was served on his solicitor Gerry McGovern.
Farrell, who appeared via video link, is charged with assaulting Sinead Shannon causing her harm on April 18 last year at Glendallon. Garda James Conneely served the book of evidence on the solicitor. Mr McGovern said there would be no bail application.
The defendant was returned for the next sitting of the circuit court in Sligo on June 15.
The court gave permission for one counsel at that sitting.
The court heard the defendant was due for release from custody on October 21.
Man appears on sex assault charge
A man has a appeared at Sligo District Court on a sex assault charge. The man, who is in thirties and can’t be identified, is charged with sexually assaulting a female on dates between September 1, 1994, and
April 30, 1995.
The court was told the DPP had directed summary disposal on a plea of guilty.
The man was remanded on bail until July 15.
Fined and banned for drunk driving
A Cloonacool man has been fined and banned for drunk driving, at Sligo District Court. Thirty-two-year-old Daniel Minton, with an address at Kilcumnin, Cloonacool, pleaded guilty to the offence that happened at the Square in Collooney on September 13 last year.
A charge of speeding at the same location was struck out.
The court heard he had some previous road traffic convictions.
His defence solicitor said there was a plea, and said the defendant very much regretted the incident.
It was very poignant as the defendant’s father had recently passed away at the time and he was speeding and he took the death badly.
He was going through a rough patch but seems to have recovered well. He had re-located to Longford, his wife was working, and they had a young family.
The defendant knew he was going off the road.
Judge Kevin Kilrane fined the defendant €300 for a breath alcohol reading of 51 mcgs and banned him from driving for two years.
22-year-old had €80 of cannabis
A Stephen Street resident has been given the Probation Act on a drugs charge at the district court.
Titus Tegan, 22 Calry Court, Stephen Street, pleaded guilty to having €80 of cannabis at Garavogue Villas on February 28, 2019.
The defendant had no previous convictions.
Motoring and drug offences admitted
A Sligo man with 46 previous convictions, who is currently in custody, has pleaded guilty to road traffic and drugs offences at the district court. Twenty-nine-year-old Glen McDermott, Knappaghmore, Strandhill, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of €20 of cannabis herb and €10 of Alprazolam on October 3, 2019, at Ballygawley.
He also pleaded guilty to having no insurance and failing to produce insurance on the same date and at the same location.
And he pleaded guilty to having no licence and failing to produce this document.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis at Ballymote Garda Station on September 6, 2019.
The defendant was previously jailed for five months and banned from driving for 15 years in July last year for a hit and run, no insurance, dangerous driving and driving while banned.
Sergeant Derek Butler said the matters before the court had happened in a very short period of time. Defence solicitor Tom MacSharry said the defendant’s release date was on November 30.
Mr MacSharry said the defendant had been given 23 months in jail for all previous offences.
He was now an enhanced prisoner at Loughan House, Blacklion, an open prison.
The defendant was working, was back in education and was “clean and sober”
He was a father of a daughter and his mother passed away while he was in custody.
Due to the pandemic, he was unable to attend his mother’s funeral – a matter that weighed heavily on him. The solicitor asked the court to consider imposing a suspended sentence to allow him to continue the good progress he had made already. The defendant, who appeared via video link, apologised to the court. He said he had a “long history” which “led me to be in jail”.
He said: “My mother passed away a few days before Christmas and I did not get to say my last goodbye and I apologise for my actions.
“I know I have done wrong, but I want to be a better person and be a better father to my daughter.” Mr MacSharry said the defendant had made an early plea, had his battle with drugs, but was now an enhanced prisoner.
Judge Kilrane said the defendant had a very difficult past and had “gone through the mill” and had been banned from driving for 15 years. The judge said all of the offences had taken place at more or less the same time.
The judge said he was taking into account that due to paperwork matters, these offences would have been dealt with at a previous hearing.
The judge said he was not going to extend the defendant’s time in jail. He jailed the defendant for a month on each of the drugs charges (a concurrent sentence).
The judge gave the defendant a three-month concurrent jail sentence for the no insurance charge and banned him from driving for 15 years. Charges of having no licence and failing to produce documents were struck out.
Man charged with theft and trespass
A Boyle man has appeared at Sligo District Court on charges of theft and trespass.
Fifty-six-year-old Benny Hanberry, Kingsland, Boyle, is charged with stealing seven steel girders valued at €500 at Clooneagh, Gurteen, the property of Rachel Hiley, on March 4, 2019.
He is also charged with entering as a trespasser to commit an arrestable offence, theft, at An Crannog, Moygara, Gurteen, on October 30 last year.
The case was adjourned to July 15 in the event of additional charges for the DPP, the court heard.