Man accused of damaging vehicles caught in traffic jam hours after release from prison

A man attacked a number of vehicles stuck in a traffic jam in Co Donegal just hours after he was released from prison, Sligo District Court has heard.

Francis McConnell is charged with a number of offences following a series of incidents at Oldtown Bridge in Letterkenny at about 7.30pm on Tuesday.

Nobody was injured but the court heard considerable damage was caused to the vehicles by a man wielding an implement.

The accused (30), of no fixed abode, was arrested a short time later by gardaí after an alleged assault close to a McDonald’s outlet in the town. He was still wearing his grey prison tracksuit at the time.

The accused appeared before Judge Deirdre Gearty at a special sitting of the court charged with causing criminal damage to a number of cars, assault and public order offences. He was also charged with a public order offence at Letterkenny University Hospital on Wednesday.

An application for bail was adjourned until a hearing at Letterkenny District Court on Thursday.

Patsy Gallagher, solicitor for the accused, asked for all the necessary medical treatment to be given to his client.

“My client tried to get psychiatric help when he was released from prison yesterday morning but it is my understanding that he was refused.”