Letterkenny Courthouse

Almost 200 witness statements taken for Inishowen crash

February 25, 2021

Almost 200 witness statements have been taken in relation to a road traffic incident in Inishowen in 2017.

The matter was raised at a sitting of Carndonagh District Court, when charges were also brought against two local men.

Ricky Fagan (27) of Mulberry Avenue, Buncrana, was charged with driving without insurance and having false number plates at Cabry, Quigley’s Point, on April 29, 2017.

In a related matter, Eamon Sweeney (22) of Drumfries was charged with driving without insurance the previous night, April 28, at Carrickmaquigley, Redcastle.

Garda Sergeant Gerard Dalton told Judge Paul Kelly that Sweeney’s matter related to driving before and after ‘visiting a premises’ on the night in question.

Fagan, on the other hand, was charged in relation to driving ‘from the premises’ the following morning, according to his solicitor, Mr Frank-Aran Murphy.

Sgt Dalton said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advised that ‘further charges’ will be brought against Fagan.

He added that Fagan was not in court, but ‘should be’ present at the next sitting in order for the new charges to be put to him. He will also be served with a book of evidence.

The court heard that an additional charge against Sweeney, for being the owner of a car which was driven without insurance, was being struck out.

His solicitor, Mr Ciaran Mac Lochlainn, said between ‘100 and 200’ statements were recorded by investigating gardaí.

“I need every single statement,” Mr Mac Lochlainn told Judge Kelly.

Sgt Dalton said that CCTV footage related to driving ‘after visiting the premises’ and that the State would be making a full disclosure of evidence once they had received DPP directions.

Judge Kelly said a review had been completed by the DPP and adjourned the matter to the March sitting of the court.

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