A 22-year-old man from Carlow appeared before Letterkenny District Court today following a shooting incident in Glenties at the weekend.
Stephen Dowling, Cois Abhainn, Burren Road, Carlow was charged with discharging a firearm at Mill Road and Main Street Glenties in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The father of one was in Donegal on a hunting trip with his uncle and nephew and was highly intoxicated when he was apprehended by Gardai.
Garda Enda Jennings said they were objecting to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the charges, that they feared the accused could interfere with the witnesses involved in the case and that he may leave the jurisdiction.
Garda Jennings said a file is being prepared by the Director of Public Prosecutions and that there is strong evidence to support the charges with independent eye witnesses and Garda witnesses.
The defendant’s solicitor Mr John Anderson said his client has no previous convictions and argued because Dowling is from Carlow and will not be in Donegal he would not interfere with witnesses.
Mr Anderson added that Dowling, who works as a welder, is the sole carer for his one year old child.
The court heard that the accused had been hunting deer with relatives with a landowner‘s permission. Garda Jennings said a licensed firearm had been seized by Gardai.
Judge Paul Kelly questioned if Dowling had access to other guns and Dowling told the court that although his uncle had guns they were locked away in a safe four miles from where he lived.
Gardai said it could take a couple of months to get directions from the DPP as there is a lot of evidence. Judge Kelly granted bail with a number of conditions attached. Dowling had to enter his own bond of €2,000, an independent surety of €2,000, must reside at the address given and not be in contact, directly or indirectly, with any witnesses involved in the case. He also has to sign on in his local garda station once a week, abide by a curfew and not enter Donegal other than for court appearances. Dowling also had to surrender his passport to the Gardai.
He was remanded on bail until April 27 for DPP directions.
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