Gardai given fortnight to get directions in vicious assault case

Garda have been told to get directions in the case of a Letterkenny man, who has been in custody for four months.

John Sweeney has been charged in connection with a vicious assault in Letterkenny in October.

Sweeney, 27, of Burnside Apartments, Letterkenny appeared at Letterkenny District Court this week via video link from Castlerea Prison.

Sweeney’s solicitor, Mr Rory O’Brien was critical of the delay in progress when informed that a book of evidence was still outstanding in the matter.

“He has been in custody for four months now since he entered the system,” Mr O’Brien told the court.

“This is no further along and Mr Sweeney has been very patient on this matter.”

Sweeney was charged with assaulting Sloan Murphy at Burnside, Letterkenny on October 29, 2022.

Sweeney, who has 54 previous convictions, was arrested by Gardai and conveyed to Milford Garda Station.

At a previous court sitting, Garda Detective Sergeant Johnny Sweeney said the attack was the worst he had seen in his 20 years of service.

The court was told that phone footage of the assault had been widely circulated on social media.

The accused, Detective Sergeant Sweeney said, can ‘clearly be seen punching and kicking the inured party several times continuously and at one stage running up and akin to kicking a football’.

Sweeney is charged with assaulting a man causing him harm. He also faces a charge of using or engaging 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.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham adjourned the case to February 20, 2023.

The adjournment was marked peremptory against the State, meaning directions must be available on the next date.