Two Falcarragh men who were caught illegally netting salmon will be sentenced next March.
Paul Ferry and Ciaran McGee were caught by Inland Fisheries Ireland fisheries officers on the night of July 10th, 2021.
Officer Seamus Bradley told Falcarragh District Court that himself and another officer were on a covert operation to detect illegal salmon fishing at Ballyness on July 10th, 2021.
Officer Bradley said they were positioned in a dead end and next to a car when they heard voices.
They concealed themselves and then saw a man carrying a bag.
He identified himself before a short struggle ensued before the man, who was wearing a balaclava stopped struggled.
He asked him for his name and the man replied he was Paul Ferry, then aged 29 with an address in Ballyboes. Ferry went to his car and produced his gun license as identification.
When Officer Bradley read him his rights, Ferry replied “What can I say – caught red-handed. There was one salmon in the bag being carried by Ferry.
There was another man in the car who was identified as Ciaran McGee, of Ray, Falcarragh whose clothes were wet above the knees.
A trout net measuring 65 ft long and 30 ft deep was also recovered at the scene.
Solicitor Patsy Gallagher said there was no insults exchanged as sometimes happens in these cases and asked how the men behaved when apprehended.
Officer Bradley said that if other people behave din the manner in which these men behaved when caught then his job would be a lot easier.
Mr Gallagher added that both men had no previous convictions of any kind and had tendered a plea at the first opportunity.
Judge Ms Éiteáin Cunningham put the case back to March 15th for sentencing .