Former Donegal councillor to be sentenced for assault and attack on van during family dispute

A former Donegal County Councillor is to be sentenced after admitting assaulting a man and damaging his van.

Gareth Reid appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court, where he pleaded guilty to the charges which arose out of a family dispute over land.

The former Fine Gael councillor admitted the charges which occurred following an incident at Knockfair, Stranorlar, in May 2021.

The 42-year-old was charged with assaulting Paul McCool and causing him harm, the charge being contrary to section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

Reid, of Lawnsdale, Stranorlar, was also charged with an act of criminal damage.

He was charged that he did, without lawful exact, damage property, namely the driver’s side of a Peugeot Partner van belonging to Paul McCool, a charge contrary to section 2 (1) of the Criminal Damage Act, 1991.

He spoke only to plead guilty to the charges when he appeared before Judge John Aylmer.

His barrister, Mr Peter Nolan BL, told the court that Reid has previous convictions “going back some time”.

Mr Nolan said that there is a “very involved family history in this matter”.

He told Judge Aylmer that the matter is also before the High Court over “lands, wills et cetera” and the court should be informed about these matters.

Judge Aylmer requested a probation report and asked that it include an assessment on Reid’s suitability for community service.

In September 2008, Reid was co-opted onto Donegal County Council, taking the seat of his grandfather, JJ Reid, following his retirement from politics but failed to be re-elected to the Council the following year.