Case of alleged assault against Donegal Councillor adjourned

A case of alleged assault against a Donegal County Councillor has been adjourned until next week.

Frank McBrearty is facing a charge of assaulting a Donegal County Council official at the County House in Lifford.

McBrearty, a 54-year-old of Tullyvinney, Raphoe, is charged that on May 3, 2023 at County House, Lifford, he assaulted Mr Patsy Lafferty.

The charge is contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

When the matter was mentioned out of turn at Letterkenny District Court, McBrearty's solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, queried why the matter was being called at that point.

McBrearty, an independent County Councillor, was not present for the short mention of the matter.

Mr Michael Staines, a Dublin-based solicitor representing Donegal County Council in the case, told the court that he was 'here on a watching brief' and thanked the court for calling the matter prior to the lunch break.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham adjourned the matter to Buncrana District Court on May 29, 2024.

McBrearty has other matters that are due before the same court sitting in Buncrana.

He is charged with a breach of the peace at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny on March 28, 2022.

He is charged that he did use or engage in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace or being reckless as to whether a breach of the peace might have been occasioned.

McBrearty has also been charged with a public order offence contrary to section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act on March 23, 2022 at Ballymacarry Lower, Buncrana.

It is alleged that he did use or engage in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace or being reckless as to whether a breach of the peace might have been occasioned.

The charge is Contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994.