FinnValleypost
Thursday 8 June 2017
Judge warns 20-year-old father he risks spending his life in jail A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to numerous thefts including cash from candelabras at two Castlefinn churches. He also admitted criminal damage in the same churches, as well as breaking into a car and stealing an iPad and mobile phone. Nathan Coughlan with addresses listed at 15 Armada Cottages, Bundoran and Seafront, Bundoran was before Ballyshannon District Court on Friday last. He was already in custody on another matter. The court heard that Coughlan had 53 previous convictions and had already spent 16 months in prison as a juvenile. Defence solicitor Laura Spellman said her client was addicted to cocaine. “Unfortunately, that has led him to be involved in all of these offences to fund his addiction,” said Ms Spellman. “He has faced up to everything, held up his hands. I think his time has finally caught up with him.” Coughlan who is facing further charges at the Circuit Court appealed for leniency, saying he needed help. “I tried to get into White
Oaks but then I got drunk and did a stupid thing,” he said. “I went into the Grand Central Hotel.” Judge Kevin Kilrane asked the defendant if he sought help for his addiction while in prison. “I had no addiction,” said Coughlan. “I was only a juvenile then.”
Options
Judge Kilrane acknowledged the defendant’s guilty plea. He said there were two options in how to deal with the matter. “One is to continue to lock up the defendant because he is a serial offender,” said the judge. “He was released on bail and within days he was at it again. He said he was drunk. That is no excuse.” Judge Kilrane said the maximum time for which he could imprison the defendant was 24 months. He referred to the fact that Coughlan had a sixmonth-old daughter. “The other option is to explore some alternative,” said the judge. “This man has come out of prison and started re-offending straight away. Prison should include rehabilitation. Clearly it wasn’t there in this case. “It is a very sad situation
that anyone of 20 years of age would be just locked up to protect the public with no possibility of change, no hope. It is a very serious thing to do that to any human being.” Coughlan pleaded to the judge to release him on bail. “If you could adjourn this for two months and give me a chance to get to White Oaks, you can lock me up then,” he said.
Remand
Judge Kilrane remanded the defendant in custody to appear at Harristown District Court
next Friday and again at Ballyshannon the following week. He told Coughlan: “I will craft an order then that will sentence you for some matters and leave the rest for another day.” Judge Kilrane assured the defendant that cocaine addiction could be overcome. “Mr Coughlan has reached a crossroads,” he said. “I am going to talk to some of the services to see what can be arranged for this man. But he must be kept in custody unless he can be admitted to in-house treatment that very day.” The defendant asked: “What if they don’t take me on?” Judge Kilrane replied:
“There is no way Mr Coughlan that you are going to be released on the basis of ‘Trust me I am going to change.’”
Charges
The charges currently faced by Coughlan in the district court are: theft of €50 and criminal damage at the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Bundoran on January 23, 2016; theft of €80 cash and criminal damage to candelabra locks at St Mary’s Church, Castlefin on March 19, 2017; criminal damage to the candelabra locks and theft of €50 cash at St Mary’s Church, Castlefinn on March 23, 2017; theft of €10 cash and criminal damage to locks at St Columba’s Church, Donnyloop on April 1, 2017; criminal damage and theft of €10 cash at St Mary’s Church, Castlefinn on April 2, 2017; theft of an iPad worth €500 and a Samsung Galaxy phone worth €200 and criminal damage to a car at St Mary’s Church carpark, Castlefin on the same date and burglary at Grand Central Hotel, Main Street, Bundoran on May 25, 2017. None of the stolen property was recovered. LEFT: Judge Kilrane
NEWS 3 NEWSBRIEFS Agricultural Show The 25th annual Finn Valley Agricultural Show will be held in Killygordon on Saturday, June 24.
Twin Towns church gate collection
A church gate collection will take place on Saturday and Sunday in the Twin Towns. Please give generously and support your local Tidy Towns. Donations can be made directly by contacting the BASE Centre for more information on 0749190909.
B&S Tidy Towns Committee
Volunteers always needed on Thursday nights for tidy up's at 8pm. Please bring your own gardening tools.
Charity BBQ
Maggies Tavern, Carrickmore, St Johnston is holding its BBQ and pig on the spit fundraiser for Something Special Raphoe on Friday, July 7. It is a ticket only event with music by David Craig. For further information keep an eye on the Maggies Tavern Facebook page.
Wind farm opening
Meenadreen Wind Farm Extension is to be officially opened tomorrow (Thursday). There will also be a Windfarm Open Day with direction signs pointing to Meenadreen. The event gets underway at 12 noon.
Taoiseach backs Wainfest In his address at the recent launch of Creative Ireland’s local Culture & Creativity Plans, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny described Donegal’s Wainfest as the event that best illustrates the values and aspirations underpinning the new Creative Ireland programme. “I asked to see a representative sample of the kind of activities and events that are coming through in these programs,” said An Taoiseach. “And I’ve picked out just one event from one programme, not because it’s the biggest or necessarily the best, but because it illustrates the values and aspirations that underpin the programme.” He continued “It’s an event from the Donegal programme called Wainfest – an arts and books festival for children. There are many things to say An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, speaking at the recent Creative Ireland launch.
about Wainfest. "It’s been around for 21 years – so we’re building on what we already have; It was in fact created by the Donegal Library Service – a testament to the role of local authorities in arts and culture. "It’s about children – and it’s becoming more apparent every day that Creative Ireland is really about children; It embraces heritage alongside the arts – something that is of crucial importance in Creative Ireland because it involves place and language as core elements of identity and culture. "And Wainfest is a collaborative effort, involving Donegal County Council, the Regional Cultural Centre, the County Museum, the County Donegal Heritage Office – and now Creative Ireland”.
He also said he loved the title of the festival – “a festival for ‘wains’”. Speaking following the launch Eileen Burgess Divisional Manager for Cultural Services in Donegal Co. Council said she was absolutely delighted that An Taoiseach picked out Wainfest from among hundreds of other projects as an exemplar for the Programme. “I am thrilled that An Taoiseach chose to highlight Wainfest," Eileen said. "It is a wonderful festival for children and every year our staff put their heart and soul into organising this event for the children of Donegal. "As soon as we heard about the concept of Creative Ireland we were confident that Wainfest would be an excellent fit." She added: “In 2016 alone over 3,400 children from all over the county participated in Wainfest and this number is growing every year. Plans for our 2017 festival are well underway and we have already secured a number of high profile authors and facilitators." Dave Rodden author of ‘Knights of the Borrowed Dark' and winner of the Specsavers’ Senior Children’s Book of the Year Award and the Most Read Novel at the School Library Association Great Read Awards has been confirmed for this year’s Wainfest, as has well known author and broadcaster Eanna Ni Lamha.
Smart Mums Market is an indoor market selling quality, nearly new childrens and baby items.
DONEGAL MARKET ON 10TH JUNE in the St John Bosco Centre(12-2pm)
LETTERKENNY MARKET ON 15TH JULY in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny(12-2pm)
Antoinette 0862759606
www.smartmumsmarket.ie