Inishowen man in court over Easter Sunday incident at Grianán of Aileach

A man has appeared in court charged with striking a woman with a car at the historic Grianán of Aileach fort on Easter Sunday.

The accused, who is aged in his 30s and from the Inishowen area, was hauled before a special sitting of Letterkenny District Court on Tuesday afternoon.

The man cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the alleged victim in the case.

The court heard that it is alleged that the man struck the woman with a car before pulling her by the hair and striking her on the face 'a number of times'.

Judge Ciaran Liddy granted bail to the defendant on strict conditions.

An independent witness, who was camping at the ancient fort, alerted gardai when he made a 999 call.

The witness told gardai that he witnessed the incident in a car park close to the monument, which dates back to the sixth century.

The accused man was alleged to have driven the vehicle at the injured party – who left the car following a verbal row – and collided with her. He was then alleged to have reversed back before exiting the vehicle and pulling the woman up by the hair and hitting her.

The woman, accompanied by a member of An Garda Siochana, was present in court for the hearing before Judge Ciaran Liddy at Letterkenny courthouse.

Solicitor Mr Frank Dorrian represented the man, who he said had been in a 'fairly tumultuous relationship' with the woman and alcohol was involved.

Mr Dorrian said the pair were at the location 'for romantic reasons and that seems to have gone wrong'.

The woman took to the witness box and told Judge Liddy: “I don't want to see him any more.”

Detective Garda Jason Conroy gave evidence of charging the man on Monday afternoon. The man made no reply after being charged.

The man is charged with assaulting the woman and causing her harm. The charge is contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

He is also charged with contravening a protection order granted at Letterkenny District Court, in that he did use violence and threatened to use violence against the woman and placing her in fear, a charge contrary to Section 33 (1) of the Domestic Violence Act.

He is further charged with dangerous driving, contrary to section 53 (1) of then Road Traffic Act, 1961, as substituted by Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act (No.2) Act 2011.

The man was also charged with using or engaging 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 as amended by Section 22 of the Intoxicating Liqour Act, 2008.

The man was also charged with refusing to provide a sample when directed to do so at Buncrana Garda Station, contrary to Section 12 (3) of the Road Traffic Act 2010.

Sergeant Jim Collins sought the imposition of several bail conditions.

Judge Liddy granted bail on condition that the man not contact, either directly or indirectly, the injured party; he provide his mobile phone number to gardai; he remain out of named locations; and that he sign on once a week at Buncrana Garda Station.

Bail was granted in the accused's own bond of €100 and legal aid was granted to Mr Dorrian.