A serving garda is to face trial on charges including burglary, harassment, criminal damage, assault and the sending of grossly offensive messages.
Alan O’Mahony, who is based at Letterkenny Garda Station in Co Donegal, is due to stand trial before Letterkenny Circuit Court, reports RTE.
The matter was mentioned before Letterkenny District Court, where Judge Ciaran Liddy presided.
The State solicitor for Donegal, Kieran Dillon, informed the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had given consent for the accused to be sent forward to the circuit court on all charges, reports RTE.
Mr O’Mahony, who has an address at Commons Road in Cork, was not in attendance at court and is currently on sick leave.
He is facing a total of five separate charges, reports RTE.
It is alleged that on 30 June 2024, at Wood Park, Lismonaghan, Letterkenny, he entered a building as a trespasser with the intention of committing an arrestable offence.
He is also accused that on the same date and at the same location, he damaged property, namely a duvet, by throwing a lit cigarette onto it and burning it, either intending to cause damage or acting recklessly as to whether damage would occur, reports RTE.
Mr O’Mahony further faces a charge of assaulting Joseph O’Donnell, contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, at the same place and on the same date.
Additionally, it is alleged that on the same date and at the same address, he caused damage to the handle of the front door of the house, intending to damage the property or being reckless as to whether it would be damaged, reports RTE.
He is also charged that on or about the same date, at or near Letterkenny, he sent a grossly offensive communication, namely a photograph of a named woman, to another person, with intent to cause harm by distributing or sending it.
Mr Dillon told the court that he was providing copies of witness statements to the accused’s solicitor, Patsy Gallagher, so that the possibility of a signed plea could be considered, reports RTE.
He requested that the case be adjourned until 3 March to allow time for consideration of a signed plea.
In response, Mr Gallagher said “that all makes sense”, reports RTE.
An application for legal aid was made and granted after Mr Gallagher explained that Mr O’Mahony was not currently working “due to these matters”.
Citing the “allegations and seriousness of the case”, Mr Gallagher also asked Judge Liddy to assign counsel to the defence, which the judge agreed to, and the case was adjourned, reports RTE.
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