Donegal man receives suspended month‑long sentence for mop‑smash damage

A Donegal man was handed a one‑month prison sentence, suspended for six months, after using a mop to smash the windscreen of a woman’s car.

Richard Kelly, 45, of Carrigans, was absent when his case was heard at Letterkenny District Court. Garda Sergeant Jim Collins said Gardai responded to a report on 1 November 2025 of a broken windscreen in the Carrigans area, observed Kelly becoming verbally abusive and then using a household mop to break the window before fleeing.

Kelly was arrested shortly afterwards, found to be intoxicated, and later made admissions and apologised. He was charged with criminal damage under section 2(1) of the Criminal Damage Act 1991. The court noted he has 30 previous convictions and has already paid compensation to the injured party.

The judge also heard of a separate incident in Raphoe where Kelly, highly intoxicated, fell onto a glass table, causing damage. He was charged with being intoxicated in a public place under section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, fined €200 and ordered to pay within four months.

Mr Patsy Gallagher, Kelly’s solicitor, said alcohol is an underlying issue. Judge Daly sentenced Kelly to one month in prison for the criminal damage, suspending the term for six months.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: Gülsüm Şener / Pexels.