A homeless man who was arrested for being in breach of the peace has been sent to the Central Mental Hospital in Dublin for assessment.
Andrew Phillips, aged 60, has spent the past number of weeks in Donegal living rough around Milford, Trentagh and Churchill.
He was arrested last week after a woman in Letterkenny said she had been frightened by the Englishman on January 23rd on High Road.
However when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court last week, Phillips refused to engage or speak with Gardai or Judge Paul Kelly.
He was remanded in custody to appear in court again yesterday.
Gardai said they could not find any record of the accused man interacting with homeless charities.
He initially refused to speak to Judge Kelly again but then said he was pleading guilty.
Judge Kelly asked him if he had somewhere to stay but Phillips did not reply.
Judge Kelly said he would adjourn the matter to consider if Phillips was fit to plead.
When he returned to the court, Judge Kelly said he was remanding Phillips to the Central Mental Hospital for assessment.
He then told the accused “I am not satsified that your mental condition is such that you are able to enter a plea so I am directing that an inquiry be held to see if you are fit to plea. I’m sending you to be examined to see if you are in a fit state to enter a plea,” he said.
The case was adjourned until February.
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