A young Donegal has been charged in Australia with dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm after two of his friends were left seriously injured in a crash.
The man, 22-year-old Terence Wilkinson from Dunfanaghy, appeared in court after being caught trying to board a plane to Dublin on Monday.
Mr Wilkinson was arrested on board the plane by officers from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit and brought to Mascot Police station in Sydney.
Police allege that Mr Wilkinson was the driver of a Mazda 323 that hit a van parked on Burke Street, Chifley, in the suburbs of Sydney about 2am on Saturday morning last.
CCTV footage showed the driver and a back-seat passenger fled the scene.
A 25-year-old front passenger and a 27-year-old rear-seat passenger were trapped before being freed by emergency personnel.
The younger man was taken to St George Hospital where he remains in a critical but stable condition.
The older man was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.
A search was then launched by police for the driver and the other passenger who fled.
All four men are understood to be Irish and at least three are believed to be from Co Donegal.
Wilkinson was arrested after his plane, which was ready for take-off to Dublin, was requested to return to the boarding gate.
Wilkinson was taken to Prince of Wales Hospital where he was treated and released into the custody of a CIU officer.
He was charged with a range of offences including dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, failing to stop and assist after a vehicle impact causing grievous bodily harm, causing bodily harm by misconduct, in charge of motor vehicle (two counts).
He was also charged with failing to stop and assist after an impact caused injury (two counts), negligent driving (occasions grievous bodily harm), and, not give particulars to the owner of damaged property.
He was refused police bail after appearing in Central Local Court today where he was granted conditional bail to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday 15 August 2019.
Inquiries continue to locate the fourth man.