Suspended sentence for Donegal man at Derry Magistrate's Court

A 19-year-old man from Letterkenny currently serving a sentence in Castlerea Prison has been given a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrate's Court for driving offences.

John McGinley of Glenwood Park in Letterkenny was charged in relation to two separate incidents. The court heard that on August 2 2020 police came upon an accident on the Clooney dual carriageway where a vehicle had overturned.

The defendant was located nearby but denied being the driver and said he had been a passenger.

A witness told police they had only seen one male in the vehicle but couldn't identify McGinley.
While being taken into custody he said: “Sure I was driving the car wasn't I?”. He was asked for a blood sample but refused.

The court then heard about an incident on December 6, 2022, when police observed a vehicle outside an off-licence in John Street. Before police could approach the vehicle drove off but it was later seen on the Strand Road and stopped.

The defendant was the driver and from his demeanour, he was arrested for being drunk in charge. At his interview, he made full admissions.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that the defendant had no previous criminal record which was about the best he could say. He said McGinley's release date was not for another couple of years. McGinley was given a three-month sentence suspended for two years and disqualified from driving for three years.