A pair who had been allegedly concerned within the hi-jacking of a pizza supply automobile after which drove it to Donegal on one of many busiest weekends of the 12 months have been jailed for 2 months every.
Seamus Donaghey and Bridget Mongan appeared at Letterkenny District Courtroom following the incident on June sixteenth final.
The pair had been stopped by Gardai within the van at Manorcunningham on ‘Rally Weekend’ when dozens of additional Gardai had been deployed into the county for the Donegal Worldwide Rally.
“They couldn’t have picked a busier weekend to have been caught,” mentioned the pair’s solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher.
He mentioned that if they’d not been stopped on the first checkpoint, they might have been stopped at three different checkpoints after that.
The courtroom was beforehand informed {that a} name was made to a takeaway supply individual in Derry.
When the individual got here to the appointed tackle to ship the meals, they arrived at a derelict tackle.
The automobile was ‘forcibly’ seized from the driving force. The automobile, a black Ford Focus, fled the scene however was detected in Donegal a short while later and the 2 had been arrested when stopped on the N13 at Raymoghey, Manorcunningham after what was described as a ‘quick pursuit’.
Donaghey, a 31-year-old whose tackle was given as no fastened abode, and Mongan, aged 33 and of Foyle Street, Derry, have spent the previous two months in custody since their arrests.
Having consulted with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the matter, Choose Ciaran Liddy was informed he might take care of the costs earlier than the courtroom.
Donaghey was charged with unlawfully utilizing a automobile with out the consent of the proprietor.
Mongan was charged with, whereas being an individual who knew that the automobile was taken with out the consent of the proprietor, did enable herself to be carried within the automobile with out consent. Morgan was on bail from prices in Northern Eire.
Their solicitor mentioned that neither of the accused had earlier convictions of any type.
Mr Gallagher mentioned that Donaghey can even be presenting himself to officers at Strand Street Police Station in Derry on the first alternative.
He mentioned Donaghey was a separated father-of-two who had numerous problem with addictions up to now and was intoxicated on the night time in query.
Ms Mongan has had her solely points however was supported absolutely by her household who’ve been involved along with her on a weekly foundation since she went into custody.
Mr Gallagher added that she has been below the care of assorted companies within the North however met Donaghey on the night time and so they each determined to go to Letterkenny for no matter motive.
He added that Mongan mentioned she was unaware that the automobile belonged to any person else.
Mr Gallagher mentioned that taking all of the components under consideration together with the truth that the pair was intoxicated and the time already served, he requested the courtroom to be as lenient as potential.
Passing sentence, Choose Liddy mentioned that if the matter was to be contested there could be the problem of bringing the PSNI in addition to patrons to courtroom and there would have been a certain quantity of expense concerned.
The accused pair additionally don’t have any earlier convictions including that their exploits had been at all times “doomed to fail” noting the quantity of Gardai about due to the rally going down.
He sentenced each to 2 months in jail on every cost but additionally issued them with credit score for the time they’ve since spent in jail which means each walked free from custody.
Couple who allegedly hi-jacked pizza-delivery automobile jailed was final modified: August seventeenth, 2023 by
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