Latest news with #Donegan
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
'Danger to society' who subject ex-partner to ‘reign of terror' is resentenced
Scott Donegan pleaded guilty at Ennis Circuit Court to the false imprisonment of an ex-partner during a four-hour ordeal at his home on November 9, 2022. The Court of Appeal has ruled that a sentence of eight years and seven months was not unduly lenient for a 'danger to society' who inflicted 'a reign of terror' on his former partner and threatened to stab a man to death. However, the court ruled that the cumulative sentences imposed on Scott Donegan (39) could not stand due to how they were structured by the sentencing judge, and he was resentenced today. Donegan, of Knockmore, Kilmilhil, Co Clare, pleaded guilty at Ennis Circuit Court to the false imprisonment of an ex-partner during a four-hour ordeal at his home on November 9, 2022. He also pleaded guilty to producing a knife at the same address on the same date contrary to Section 11 of the Offensive Weapons and Firearms Act. Detective Garda Donal Corkery told the Ennis court that Donegan took the mobile phone off the woman and forced her to sit in a chair 'where she was frozen out of fear due to the aggressive behaviour of Mr Donegan'. Scott Donegan News in 90 Seconds - 5th June 2025 Det Corkery stated that Donegan ran at the woman with a knife and put her in fear. The detective said Donegan then grabbed the woman by the throat and squeezed her windpipe. He said that Donegan told her that he had a Glock handgun and a shotgun. Det Corkery said that four of Donegan's previous convictions were for assault against three ex-partners when Donegan went under the name of Paul McMenamy. This incident was committed while Donegan was on bail for a separate matter, relating to a charge of making threats to kill on April 19, 2021, when he verbally abused a man and threatened to stab him to death. The total sentence imposed for all offences at the Circuit Criminal Court in Ennis in September 2023 was eight years and seven months, with the final nine months suspended. Judge Francis Comerford imposed 20 months for the offence of making threats to kill, with this sentence made consecutive to a sentence of 83 months for the false imprisonment and the production of a knife. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed this sentence, saying it was unduly lenient. In delivering judgement today, Mr Justice John Edwards said the court did not fault the sentencing judge for regarding the false imprisonment offence as being the most serious offence, as the judge had carefully assessed the respondent's culpability in a careful and rigorous manner. He said the sentencing judge was right in regarding the production of a knife as being an aggravating factor, as was the respondent's previous record. However, Mr Justice Edwards went on to say: 'The sentencing judge was significantly in error in how he structured his sentence.' He said it was clear that, where an offender is being sentenced for an offence committed while on bail, the sentence imposed should be made consecutive to the sentence imposed for the previous offence. Mr Justice Edwards said that the sentencing judge was required to make the sentences for false imprisonment and the production of a knife consecutive to any sentence imposed for the offence involving threats to kill. However, the sentencing judge had instead made the sentence for threats to kill consecutive to the other sentences. He said that while the court found that the sentencing judge's failure to apply the statute correctly made no practical difference to the overall sentence, the sentences could not stand as presently structured. He added that it did not follow, however, that the court regarded the overall sentence as unduly lenient. Quashing the original sentence and moving on to resentencing, Mr Justice Edwards said that for the offence of making threats to kill, the court would nominate a headline sentence of 25 months and discount five months to reflect mitigation, leaving 20 months. For the false imprisonment and the production of a knife, which were committed while the respondent was on bail, the court nominated a headline sentence of 10 years and five months and three years and four months, respectively. Having considered mitigating factors, he reduced the sentences to six years and eleven months and 25 months respectively, to run concurrently. Mr Justice Edwards said this was to be consecutive to the 20 months for the offence of making threats to kill. Mr Justice Edwards said the court would suspend the final nine months, making a cumulative sentence of seven years and ten months to be served. Conditions of the suspended portion of the sentence are that Donegan is to keep the peace for three years post release, have no contact with the injured parties, and submit to supervision by the probation services. In her victim impact statement, the Co Clare woman told the court that Scott Donegan 'is a danger to society, and he has scarred and damaged me for life'. The woman said that Donegan imposed 'a reign of terror' on her during the four-hour ordeal despite her begging him to stop. She said: 'I believed that I would be killed by him and never see my children or family again.'
Mint
09-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Seattle Businesses Take Canadian Cash at Par to Lure Sports Fans
(Bloomberg) -- For years, the arrival of the Toronto Blue Jays in Seattle brought a familiar sight: tens of thousands of exuberant Canadians pouring into the city to cheer on their baseball team. But this year, the crowds are noticeably thinner. Keen to bring them back, Seattle is offering a hefty discount — in hopes of reviving the cross-border tradition during three games this weekend against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Iconic seafood restaurant Ivar's, the Space Needle and the Pacific Science Center are among dozens of businesses participating in the promotion that accepts Canadian dollars at par all weekend. With the loonie worth just 72 US cents, that effectively gives visitors who show Canadian IDs about a 30% discount. 'I think we're earning goodwill, which is what we wanted with our neighbors,' said Ivar's founder Bob Donegan. 'But we are not seeing a significant increase in the number of Blue Jay fans coming to Seattle.' Tourism officials on both sides of the US-Canada border report that travel has dropped sharply amid political tension and economic uncertainty. At the Blaine, Washington border crossing, a major entry point for visitors from Vancouver, southbound traffic was down 52% in the first two weeks of April compared to the same period last year. Passenger arrivals on Air Canada flights to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport dropped 66% in March. Canadians cite frustration with US policies under President Donald Trump, including tariffs and his repeated suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state. Other travelers are avoiding the US over fears of being detained or pulled aside for questioning at the border as part the Trump administration's broader immigration crackdown. Adding to the strain, Canada's economy is showing signs of weakness. Data released Friday showed the country's unemployment rate rose to 6.9% in April amid job losses in sectors like manufacturing that are affected by tariffs. The program to accept Canadian currency, called 'Open Arms for Our Canadian Friends,' includes hotels, restaurants and even transportation companies like FRS Clipper, a boat service between Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, as well as Kenmore Air, which runs seaplanes between Washington State and western Canada. Even with this effort, Donegan said that looking out his window on Friday, he saw none of the signature Blue Jays ballcaps that typically swarm the area during the games. He also said interviews that he's done with Vancouver radio stations in recent days have been followed by angry fans calling in to say they're 'so irritated with the American policy that they are not coming to town.' 'They're typically delightfully goofy Canadians who are so friendly and so focused,' Donegan said. 'So we miss them a lot.' More stories like this are available on
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local library system operations ‘unaffected' after federal agency elimination
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The Tom Green County Library System is assuring citizens that its current operations 'remain stable and unaffected' after a federal order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services 'to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law' was issued. The order, issued on March 14, stated that 'the non-statutory components and functions' of several government agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 'shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.' The order also stated that 'such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.' The Institute of Museum and Library Services provides federal funding for library and museum services in the United States. One such method is through the population-based Grants to Services program, which the agency's website describes as 'the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the U.S.' Shannon, Blue Cross Texas in contract talks In response to questions raised regarding its funding, Tom Green County Library Director Jill Donegan released a statement. Donegan said that it is 'business as usual' at the library system. 'While the discontinuation of funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is concerning, our current operations remain stable and unaffected,' Donegan said. Donegan stated that the library system 'is fortunate to receive strong support from the county, community, an active Friends of the Library group, and other key stakeholders.' Donegan also said the library system has learned from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission that, as of this time, the services most likely 'to be affected by the loss of IMLS funding are the interlibrary loan program (ILL) and access to the current selection of TexShare databases.' 'At this time, these are the only two services that could potentially undergo changes due to the loss of the IMLS,' Donegan said. Donegan expressed gratitude toward the community amid nationwide uncertainty among other library systems. 'As libraries across the country are facing uncertainty, we are especially grateful to be part of a community that values and supports its public libraries,' Donegan said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Tamper-proof vapes to curb deliberate prison fires
Prisons are introducing tamper-proof vapes to cut down on arson incidents, a fire authority meeting has heard. Firefighters were called to dozens of blazes in West Yorkshire prisons in the past 12 months, with fire bosses claiming "inventive" prisoners were using vapes to start fires so they could move cells. Bosses from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue told councillors work was being done by the prison service to tackle the issue. Scott Donegan, area manager with responsibility for prevention and response, said: "It is often vapes that are used to set fires." Mr Donegan said as well as rolling out tamper proof vapes, the prison service was also changing the type of kettles provided to prisoners as these were also being used to start fires. He added: "Some people in prisons are an inventive bunch." The meeting of the West Yorkshire Fire Authority's Community Safety Committee is held quarterly by councillors from across West Yorkshire. Friday's meeting was told there had been 119 deliberately set fires in secure accommodation in the past year, with around two thirds in West Yorkshire's prisons, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Councillors were told the prison service was looking to bring prosecutions against people starting fires in their cells, but Mr Donegan said that came with its own issues. He said: "With the court backlog, a prisoner might get released and then appear in court for setting fire to his prison cell 18 months later." Wakefield councillor Charlie Keith said: "After the riots last year there were a lot of people in prison who feel they shouldn't be there. "I wonder if some of these figures are because people in for the riots are lighting fires as a kind of protest?" But Mr Donegan said: "Sometimes people want to move prison or cell for their own security, they might have a drug debt. There might also be mental health issues." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Rise in use of vape devices to start prison fires Local Democracy Reporting Service
BBC News
12-04-2025
- BBC News
Tamper-proof vapes to curb deliberate West Yorkshire prison fires
Prisons are introducing tamper-proof vapes to cut down on arson incidents, a fire authority meeting has were called to dozens of blazes in West Yorkshire prisons in the past 12 months, with fire bosses claiming "inventive" prisoners were using vapes to start fires so they could move from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue told councillors work was being done by the prison service to tackle the Donegan, area manager with responsibility for prevention and response, said: "It is often vapes that are used to set fires." Mr Donegan said as well as rolling out tamper proof vapes, the prison service was also changing the type of kettles provided to prisoners as these were also being used to start added: "Some people in prisons are an inventive bunch." Prisoners prosecuted The meeting of the West Yorkshire Fire Authority's Community Safety Committee is held quarterly by councillors from across West meeting was told there had been 119 deliberately set fires in secure accommodation in the past year, with around two thirds in West Yorkshire's prisons, according to the Local Democracy Reporting were told the prison service was looking to bring prosecutions against people starting fires in their cells, but Mr Donegan said that came with its own said: "With the court backlog, a prisoner might get released and then appear in court for setting fire to his prison cell 18 months later."Wakefield councillor Charlie Keith said: "After the riots last year there were a lot of people in prison who feel they shouldn't be there. "I wonder if some of these figures are because people in for the riots are lighting fires as a kind of protest?"But Mr Donegan said: "Sometimes people want to move prison or cell for their own security, they might have a drug debt. There might also be mental health issues." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
