Man before court on allegation of assaulting a Donegal garda

A man has appeared before Donegal District Court on a charge of assaulting a garda.

The defendant, Ciaran Burke, 50, of Drumduff, Mountcharles was also charged with production of a chain in the course of a dispute and of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Garda Jim Connolly. The charge for the alleged assault was under Section 2 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act.

Inspector David Durkin told the court that a file had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and instructions were awaited. 

There was some confusion in court as to who was representing the defendant, as two different legal teams were present for him. Both claimed to have been instructed by the defendant in the previous 24 hours. After a short adjournment, the court heard that the defendant opted to be represented by barrister David Burns acting on behalf of Tracy Hall Solicitors.

Judge Sandra Murphy adjourned the matter to March 28 for DPP directions.

Burke was released on bail, which had initially been refused at an earlier court sitting  but was later granted at the High Court.