A Buncrana man has appeared in court charged with causing criminal damage to a property.
Donal McKinney was brought by gardai to Letterkenny District Court in connection with the alleged incident.
A 52-year-old with an address at Upper Slavery, Buncrana, McKinney was charged that he did without lawful excuse damage property, to wit, damage a border fence belonging to Inishowen Development Partnership Group, Buncrana, intending to damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be damaged. The charge is contrary to section 2 (1) of the Criminal Damage Act, 1991.
Garda Paul Hooks gave evidence of the arrest, charge and caution of McKinney.
The charge relates to an alleged offence at Ferris Lane, Buncrana, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
At 4.40pm on that date, McKinney was arrested under section 4 (3) of the Criminal Law Act, 1997 for an offence contrary to section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act and conveyed to Buncrana Garda Station.
At 6.42pm, McKinney was charged and following caution he told gardai: “I am convinced it is my own property”.
McKinney added: “I have been here since I was a kid and all my life worked here. There is considerable damage to historical artefacts, petrol pumps, going back to the 1950s.”
McKinney told gardai that he believed he has a “legitimate lease” on the property, Pitstop Tyre Centre 24/7 and added: “It’s valid for another eight years and they are damaging locks continuously since January this year. They are trying to make it look like I have not been maintaining the premises, which is illegal under any commercial law.”
Inspector Johnny Sweeney told the court that there was no Garda objection to bail, but asked that certain conditions be imposed.
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham granted bail in McKinney’s own bond of €200 nil cash on condition that he commit no offence and be of good behaviour and that he have no contact with Inishowen Development Partnership except through legal advisors.
McKinney was remanded on bail to appear at Buncrana District Court on September 11.
Legal aid was granted to Mr Frank Dorrian, solicitor for McKinney.
Mr Dorrian said that if his client was correct in having a viable lease then it was for the freeholder to seek an injunction.