Judge strikes out charges as warrant four years old

A SOLICITOR yesterday suggested that an arrest warrant was so old it should be preserved in a museum.

Anthony McMenamin was only arrested yesterday morning, although the warrant for failure to attend court was issued almost four years ago.

Donegal District Court was told McMenamin was well known in Letterkenny and had even been in court in the interim on other matters, but gardaí took no action on the warrant, which was issued in March 2004, related to an alleged drink-drive offence in August 2003.

He was arrested in Letterkenny yesterday morning and taken almost 50km by gardaí to court in Donegal town.

Defence solicitor Paudge Dorrian said it was “completely ridiculous” that the warrant was only now being activated. He said: “The archives at Letterkenny Garda Station must be getting resurrected.”

As Judge Desmond A Zaidan attempted to establish a reason from gardaí for the delay, Mr Dorrian said: “The reason is somebody put it in a drawer and forgot about it.”

He added: “It should be given to the Donegal Historical Society.”

Judge Zaidan struck out the charges and observed: “There was a breakdown in communications in the force. That shouldn’t happen.”