Frustration over court delays as man remains in custody - Donegal News

Paddy Sweeney court case faces further delays in Letterkenny District Court

SOLICITOR Mr Rory O’Brien has criticised continuing delays in the case of Paddy Sweeney (29), of Lower Main Street, Letterkenny, telling Letterkenny District Court that “the state do not have direction on the matter for the eighth time”.

Sweeney faces a number of charges and appeared by Video link at Letterkenny District Court on Monday. These include a series of thefts of alcohol from Kernan’s Spar, Letterkenny, on May 11, 2026 to the value of approximately €130.

He also faces a burglary charge relating to Burnside, Lower Main Street, Letterkenny, on May 11, 2026, is accused of trespass and committing criminal damage.

Sweeney has older matters before the court in addition, including an alleged assault on the High Road, Letterkenny, in October 2024, along with a raft of further criminal damage, public order and theft offences.

Sergeant Jim Collins said one aspect of the case required DPP direction. Mr O’Brien asked when the file had been sent to the DPP, and Sergeant Collins replied that it was sent on July 6.

Judge Emile Daly noted that Sweeney had appeared before the court on June 8 in respect of the burglary matter and she had expected progress on the file by July 13.

Mr O’Brien said that what he was hearing in court was “patently untrue”, adding that the file had been sent to the DPP for directions “three adjournments ago.” He said his client had been arrested in May and had been in custody since then.

Sergeant Collins clarified that the file was sent for local directions earlier, then returned to the investigating garda for clarity when there was an issue. It was then sent to the Inspector for further review, and that this process was legally correct, but had extended the normal timeframe.

Mr O’Brien said he had “little regard for semantics” in the case of the delays, reiterating that Sweeney had been in custody since his arrest in May. He called for the earliest possible hearing date, adding that there was no inherent difficulty in relation to any of the matters before the court.

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