Man who made false 999 report of body in water off Bundoran pleads guilty

A man has pleaded guilty to a range of offences including breaking into a church, robbing an adventure centre and making a false report of a body floating in the water off Bundoran.

Nathan Coughlan appeared at Donegal Circuit Court.

The 27-year-old, of Silverhill Village, Bundoran, is already serving a sentence in Castlerea Prison for other matters.

He appeared in court where he pleaded guilty to a number of new charges before Judge John Aylmer.

The first is that he made a false 999 call on February 21, 2021.

The call pertains to the making of a false report of a body floating in the water beside the RNLI Station at Tullan Strand, Bundoran, tending to give rise to apprehension for the safety of persons or property.

The charge is contrary to Section 1 (A) of the Criminal Law Act, 1976.

He is charged that on March 6, 2021, that he entered a building known as Bundoran Adventure Park and did commit an offence, to wit, criminal damage to a window and theft of work tools.

Coughlan was also charged that on March 7, 2021 he entered the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Bundoran as a trespasser and attempted to commit an arrestable offence, to wit, theft of donations from four collection boxes.

He was also charged with stealing €30 in cash and causing €630 worth of criminal damage at Sacred Heart Church in Mountcharles on November 22, 2022.

Barrister for Coughlan, Mr Peter Nolan BL, said his client has had a chequered history before the courts.

Mr Nolan added that Coughlan has now "changed his spots" and that he was anxious to get an up-to-date governor's report and urine analysis adding his client is not taking "a different approach."

Judge Aylmer agreed to the request for a governor's report as well as a probation report.

The case was adjourned until the next sessions of the court in April, 2025.