Man on birthday weekend break causes €500 of damage to Donegal hotel room

A man who caused €500 worth of damage in a bedroom at the Abbey Hotel was visiting the area with his partner to celebrate his birthday. 

Wiilliam Hyde, 24, of 23 Sycamore Drive, Enniskillen was before Donegal District Court on Monday. He admitted causing criminal damage to the hotel room, despite having no recollection of the events due to alcohol consumption.

Inspector Rosaleen Logue told the court that on February 18, 2024, gardaí responded to a report of a disturbance at the Abbey Hotel, the Diamond, Donegal Town.

“The occupants of a room were found to be intoxicated and in an agitated state,” she said. “A table and a bedroom door were damaged.”

.350 worth of damage was caused to the door, and €150 to the table.

Solicitor Frank Murphy said the matter had previously been heard and it was his understanding that money from his client’s bail would be used to reimburse the hotel.

He added that there had been no malice on the part of his client in causing the damage.

“He was down for his birthday weekend with his partner,” said the solicitor. “He doesn’t know how the table got broken but he has made full admission. 

“It was a case of too much alcohol. There was no malice.”

Judge Ciaran Liddy said that he would apply the Probation of Offenders Act Section 1.1, leaving the defendant without a conviction. This, Judge Liddy said, was on the basis that bail money would be transferred to the Abbey Hotel to cover the damage.