Judge seeks clarity on Letterkenny ambulance delays after keys stolen from hospital

A Judge said she wants to know how long five ambulances were out of action before sentence is passed on a man who is charged with stealing keys for the vehicles from Letterkenny University Hospital.

John Stokes, 30, is accused of stealing the keys from a staff locker room of the Ambulance Centre of the hospital on December 18, 2025.

Stokes appeared by video link at Letterkenny District Court where he indicated he wanted to plead guilty to the charges.

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that the accused is charged with stealing five sets of keys to ambulances parked at the hospital.

The value of the keys stolen is €2,000 and just one set of keys have been recovered since, the court was told.

The accused, a 30-year-old of Millrace, Belfast, was charged that on December 18, 2025 having entered a building known as the staff locker room at the Ambulance Centre of Letterkenny University Hospital as a trespasser, he did commit an arrestable offence therein, the theft of five sets of keys to emergency service vehicles.

The charge is contrary to section 12 (1) (b) and (30 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.

Sergeant Collins said the Director of Public Prosecutions had consented for the case to be hard summarily at district court level.

Judge Emile Daly asked Sergeant Collins what was the impact on the hospital and the ambulances that the vehicles were not available because of the thefts.

Solicitor for the accused, Mr Jason Laverty, said no evidence had been given that the ambulances were unavailable as a result of the theft.

However, Judge Daly added that there was a "very, very acute time" for the hospital to deal with matters just before Christmas.

She said that even if the delays in getting keys for the ambulances were ten minutes then this was a serious issue for a person who had suffered a stroke, a heart attack or had fallen.

She said she would like to hear specific details on how long the ambulances were out of commission because of the theft of the keys before sentence was passed on Stokes.

The case was adjourned to allow this to be finalised.