A man who made a false 999 call reporting a man missing in the water in Killybegs has received a suspended prison sentence.
At Donegal District Court, Judge Sandra Murphy expressed concern that the defendant appeared to be in denial about the crime, according to the probation report.
The court also heard that after being refused a ride home by the responding officers, he made further phone calls to complain about the gardaí.
Peter Gallagher, 62, of 94 Ard Connell, Ardara, pleaded guilty to the offense, which occurred on Main Street, Killybegs, on November 11, 2022.
He was charged under Section 12(b) of the Criminal Law Act, 1976, with knowingly making a false report that tended to show he had information material to Garda Síochana enquiries, thereby causing the Garda Síochana to waste time.
The court was told that Gallagher called 999 and falsely claimed his friend was missing in the water in Killybegs. He then requested a lift home from the gardaí, which was denied due to the wasting of their time. Subsequently, he made further 999 calls complaining about the gardaí.
The matter was initially addressed in a previous court session, where Judge Murphy requested the preparation of a probation report.
During the court sitting on Monday, July 28, the judge stated that after reviewing the probation report, she was concerned that despite his guilty plea, the defendant had told the probation service he genuinely believed a man was missing in the water.
“It is just not hanging together,” she said.
The judge instructed solicitor Jim Corbett to review the probation report with his client to ensure he understood the raised issue.
When the case resumed, the solicitor stated: “Mr. Gallagher has indicated to me that he is fully aware of what is in the probation report.
“Regarding the incident, he was experiencing significant mental turmoil at the time, which may have triggered his behavior, combined with other life problems.
“The defendant acknowledges his statements and apologizes to the court.
“He is making an effort, and I ask you to be as lenient as possible.”
The court heard that the defendant had eight previous convictions, none of which were relevant to the current case.
Judge Murphy noted that the probation service assessed Gallagher as posing a moderate risk of reoffending.
In delivering her judgment, she stated: “What is aggravating is the fact that after the incident, he proceeded to make complaint reports to An Garda Síochána.
“Gardaí acknowledge that it wasn’t done maliciously, but there were costs and pressure on the state. It is a very serious offense from that perspective. My concern was his apparent denial of a certain aspect of that.”
The judge imposed a two-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Timewaster made bogus 999 call claiming his friend was missing in water off Killybegs was last modified: August 6th, 2025 by
