Derry man pleads guilty to head-butting and spitting blood on Donegal Garda

A man has pleaded guilty to head-butting a Garda and spitting blood in his face in a Donegal hotel.

Rodney Bonnes appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court, where he was formally arraigned before Judge John Aylmer.

The 30-year-old accused was charged with a section 3 assault causing harm to Garda Kenneth Merritt by head-butting him at the Inishowen Gateway Hotel in Buncrana on June 12, 2024.

He was also charged with spitting blood in the face of Garda Merritt and the same location and on the same date.

Bonnes spoke only to plead guilty to both charges.

A third charge in relation to the incident could be marked as taken into consideration, State prosecutor Ms Fiona Crawford BL said.

Barrister for the accused, Mr Peter Nolan BL, instructed by solicitor Rory O'Brien, said he was seeking a probation and welfare report on behalf of his client.

Mr Nolan said Bonnes, of Kinsale Park, Derry, has a long-standing psychiatric history and was being treated for this for a number of years.

He asked for his legal aid certificate to be extended for a psychiatric report on his client.

Mr Nolan added that his client had been in custody for eight months and he also requested a governor's report from Castlerea Prison. 

Judge John Aylmer agreed to both requests and remanded Bonnes in custody until the next session of the circuit court for sentencing.