Jail for man who caused over €3,000 damage to cars with crutch in Ballybofey

A man who attacked a number of cars in Ballybofey with a crutch causing more than €3,000 of damage has been jailed for two months.

Leo Marley was walking through Ballybofey when he set upon the cars parked at McElhinney's Car Park at approximately 11.30am on June 22, 2025.

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told Letterkenny District Court that three cars had damage to various doors and paintwork with the total value of the damage being €3,100.

The random incident was seen by a number of horrified bystanders and was also captured on CCTV.

Marley was arrested a short time later and admitted causing the damage.

He was charged with three counts of damaging property belonging to another person contrary to section 2 (1) of the Criminal Damage Act, 1991.

Marley did not appear in court as he is already serving a sentence for breaking into Ballybofey Garda Station just before Christmas claiming he was homeless and it was freezing cold outside.

He was represented in court by his solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher.

Mr Gallagher said the court was well aware of Mr Marley and that it had sentenced him to a prison sentence for breaking into the Garda Station and other matters just weeks ago.

He added that his client has effectively been "looking after himself" since he was 14 years old and has issues with both alcohol and drugs.

The man's solicitor added: “He's 34 and we're in the court's hands. I'm asking the court not to add to his sentence."

Judge Emile Daly said these were "serious matters" and noted that the damage to the cars was put at €3,100 as had been outlined in the court.

She said she was imposing a headline sentence of three months in prison for Marley but that in the light of Mr Gallagher's plea, she would reduce that sentence to one of two months.

The sentence is to run concurrently with any matters which Marley is already in prison for.