A man has appeared before court in Donegal charged with failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements
The man, who is in his 20s, and cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Judge Brendan O’Reilly at Donegal District Court, sitting at Ballyshannon courthouse.
Evidence was heard of the arrest, change and caution of the man. When charged by Gardai on Wednesday morning, the man said: “No reply”.
He was initially arrested on Tuesday on foot of a bench warrant following a non-appearance at a court elsewhere in the country for offences dating back to 2023.
He has now been charged with being in possession of a controlled drug, cannabis, at a Garda station, on August 4, 2026.
The man is also facing a charge that on dates between May 2025 and October 2025, within the jurisdiction of the State, that he, being a person to whom Part 2 of the Se Offenders Act, 2001 applied did fail, without reasonable excuse, to notify within a three-day timeframe, a change in his home address, a place where he stayed in the State for a qualifying period, or return to an address in the State.
The charge is contrary to section 12 (1) (a) (as amended by section 10 of the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023) and section 12 (3) (as amended by section 13 of the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act, 2008) of the Sex Offenders Act, 2001.
Judge O’Reilly asked if attempts had been made to contact a solicitor.
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The court was informed that the member in charge at the Garda station made attempts to contact “several” solicitors, but none made themselves available, owing to the ongoing industrial action.
Judge O’Reilly set reporting restrictions in the case, meaning the accused man cannot be identified at this point.
The defendant said he wanted to apply for bail. Garda Sergeant Maurice Doyle told the court that there were no Garda objections to bail, but that they were seeking the imposition of “strict conditions”.
Judge O’Reilly told the man that he had to return to court to deal with his outstanding issues.
The accused said he was not working at present and was in receipt of Jobseekers’ Allowance.
The man was granted bail, on his own bon of €500 nil cash, on condition that he: sign on twice a week at a specified Garda station; reside at a named address; be contactable on a mobile phone 24-7; surrender his passport and not apply for any travel documents.
He was remanded on bail to appear before a further court sitting in September for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Regarding the bench warrant, the man was granted bail in his own bond of €300, with €100 to be lodged in court. He was ordered to commit no further offence, be of good behaviour and to turn up to the next court sitting.