Man faces trial for cutting wires of rally car in Donegal

A man is to stand trial charged with causing criminal damage to a rally car belonging to a competitor at the Donegal International Rally.

John Crothers, a 62-year-old, had been charged at a special sitting of Letterkenny District Court accused of damaging the car of rally driver Richard Hall.

Mr Hall had been due to take part in the Historics section of the rally in June, 2022.

However, his car was interfered with before the race.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has now decided that Crothers should stand trial before a judge and jury at the next siting of Letterkenny Circuit Court.

The accused, of Ballynashee Road, Glenwherry, Ballymena, County Antrim, faces a total of three charges.

Crothers is accused that he did, without lawful excuse, damage property, to wit, cut the fuel pump switch, the fan switch, three wires to the rev limiter and the safety switch of a motor car, a Ford Escort, belonging to Richard Hall, intending to damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be damaged.

Crothers is further charged with making a threat intending that Mr Hall to believe it would be carried out, to damage property, to wit, a motor vehicle, a Ford Escort rally car.

The accused is also charged that he, without lawful authority or reasonable cause, did interfere with the mechanism of a mechanically propelled vehicle, the property of Mr Hall, while such a vehicle was stationary.

Crothers had been released on bail.

The case was called at Letterkenny District Court this week where Garda Sergeant Jim Collins said the DPP had directed that the case be heard on indictment.

He sought a future date for the presentation of a book of evidence in the case.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham adjourned the case until September 25th to allow time for a book of evidence to be prepared ahead of the next sittings of the Letterkenny Circuit Court in October.