Man charged after two gardaí hospitalised after assaults at Donegal office

Stephen Maguire

A man has appeared in court after two gardaí were hospitalised following an incident at a council office in Co Donegal.

Abdou Abouzid was charged with a number of incidents following an altercation at Donegal County Council Public Services Centre at Neil T Blaney Road in Letterkenny on Thursday afternoon.

Gardaí were called to the scene following an incident with staff at the premises just before 3pm.

Two gardaí were injured and had to be taken to Letterkenny University Hospital following injuries sustained during the incident.

Two people, including a man in his 30s and a woman in her 30s, were arrested at the scene and taken to Letterkenny Garda Station.

The woman was released and is expected to appear at Letterkenny District Court on Monday next.

A man, 35-year-old Abdou Abouzid, was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 and appeared in court on Friday afternoon.

He was charged with four offences.

He is charged that on April 23rd, 2026, at Donegal County Council Public Services Centre, he assaulted Garda Daniel Murphy. The charge is Contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

He is also charged that on April 23rd, 2026, at Donegal County Council Public Services Centre, he assaulted Garda Lee Scanlon.

He is also charged on the same date and same place, having been found in said public place by a member of An Garda Siochana, namely Garda Daniel Murphy, who suspected with reasonable cause, that you were acting in a manner contrary to the provisions of Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.

That charge is Contrary to Section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994 as amended by Section 22 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2008.

He is also charged that on the same date and location, he did use or engage in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to produce a breach of the peace or being reckless as to whether a breach of the peace might have been occasioned.

This charge is Contrary to Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994, as amended by Section 22 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, 2008.

Solicitor for the accused man, Rory O'Brien, said he understood that there were no objections to bail by gardaí.

He said his client understood a number of conditions had been placed on the bail and that he understood those.

They include that he surrender his passport card, reside at his home address at Hazelbrook Crescent, Long Lane, Letterkenny and that he sign a bond in his own sum of €150.

Garda Sergeant Noel O'Donnell of Letterkenny Garda Station said that further charges were likely in the case.

Judge Emile Daly agreed to adjourn the case until next Monday, April 27th, to allow for directions in the case from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

O'Brien was also granted legal aid for his client.