A MAN was returned to prison after officers realised that his attendance in court in Letterkenny would have led to a breach of Covid-19 guidelines.
The accused man was recently brought to Ireland on foot of a bench warrant.
He has been in an isolation cell at Cloverhill Prison in Dublin and was due to appear at Letterkenny Circuit Court on Friday last.
As he has come into the country from abroad, he was subject to a 14-day quarantine period.
Prison officers had transported the accused halfway to Donegal when it was realised that he shouldn’t be present in the courtroom due to the 14 days not being completed. The prison van returned to Cloverhill.
Barrister for the accused, Mr Peter Nolan, said he was not, therefore, in a position to meet or take instruction from his client.
The accused did not appear for a sentencing hearing in the case in June 2017 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Authorities recently brought the man back to Ireland to proceed with the case.
A case involving a co-accused was previously dealt with before Judge John O’Hagan who, on his subsequent retirement, gave consent for another Judge to deal with the matter.
There are other matters for which the accused is also remanded in custody.
The case was put back to the November 10 sitting of Carrick-on-Shannon Circuit Court, where the defendant is to be arraigned on the charges relating to the warrant.