Property developer charged with breach of protection order

By Brendan Grehan

FORMER Property developer Thomas McFeely has appeared in Tallaght Court charged with another breach of a protection order.

Judge John Lindsay granted McFeely free legal aid and released him on bail. There was no objection from the gardai to the application.

Following an application from Sergeant Michael Ahearn, Judge Lindsay ordered that reporting restrictions applied in the case
McFeely, aged 68, with addresses in Drumkeen, County Donegal and South Dublin is charged with two counts of breaching a protection order by putting a woman in fear at the South Dublin address on February 12, 2017 and February 20, 2017.

The new charge is the one from February 12. McFeely appeared before Judge John Lindsay in custody.

Garda Lorraine McHugh told the court that she arrested McFeely before the court that morning. She said McFeely was later charged and replied: “I don’t know how I could break any order when I didn’t know there was an order.”

Garda McHugh asked as a condition of bail that McFeely sign on daily at Letterkenny Garda Station. McFeely’s counsel asked for a twice-weekly sign on and asked that it be Ballybofey Garda Station.

Garda McHugh said Letterkenny was a 24-hour station.

Judge Lindsay noted that McFeely was charged with two breaches of the order and they were eight days apart. He said it would have to be Letterkenny.

He ordered that McFeely sign on three times a week at Letterkenny and that he provide a mobile phone number which is to be accessible at all times.

McFeely’s counsel said her client was pleading not guilty to both charges.

She said: “My client is anxious to finalise both matters’.

Judge Lindsay released McFeely on bail and remanded him to a date at the end of the month for hearing.