Man admits causing unlawful termination of woman's pregnancy in Donegal

A man has admitted to causing the unlawful termination of a pregnancy in County Donegal.

The man was due to stand trial at Letterkenny Circuit Court this week, but after a jury was empanelled the man pleaded guilty.

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody by Judge John Aylmer. He is due to be sentenced in early 2026.

The man, who is in his 20s, admitted that he assaulted the complainant and that he forced her to take tablets, which caused her to abort her unborn child. The charges relate to a date in 2020 at a location in County Donegal. 

Having initially denied the charges, he was due to go on trial and a jury comprising six men and six women was selected for a case that was pencilled in to run for six days at Letterkenny courthouse. A series of witnesses, including the parents of the complainant, medical personnel and members of An Garda Síochána, were due to give evidence. 

However, after several hours of talks between the respective legal teams, the man changed his plea.

He pleaded guilty to charge that he unlawfully ended the life of a foetus, contrary to section 23.2 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. The charge relates to administering, supplying or procuring any drug, substance, instrument, apparatus or other thing knowing that it was intended to be used or employed with intent to end the life of a foetus, or being reckless as to whether it was intended to be so used or employed.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting the woman and causing her harm, contrary to section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

Charges of making threats to kill or cause serious harm and false imprisonment were marked as taken into consideration by the court.

The victim in the case was present in court and a victim impact statement will be sought. 

The prosecution is represented by Mr Paul Greene SC, with Ms Fiona Crawford BL, instructed by State Solicitor for Donegal, Mr Kieran Dillon.

Mr Greene told the court that the pleas were acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on a full facts basis.

The accused man tendered not guilty pleas when he was first formally arraigned in front of the jury on Tuesday afternoon.

He is represented by Mr James McGowan SC, with Mr Sean McGee BL, instructed by McIntyre & O’Brien Solicitors.

Judge Aylmer told the jury that the guilty plea meant that the matter would no longer proceed by way of a trial by jury and would instead proceed to sentencing. Judge Aylmer thanked the jury for making themselves available for a six-day trial and said he understood the inconvenience that could have caused.

Mr Greene asked that the man be remanded in custody until the next session of Letterkenny Circuit Court in February.

Noting a concern raised by the prosecution, Judge Aylmer remanded the man in custody. 

The matter will be listed for sentencing at the February sitting of Letterkenny Circuit Court.