Dissident Gary Donnelly jailed for assault
A dissident republican has been jailed after losing his appeal against convictions for assaulting and obstructing a police officer.
Gary Donnelly, 39, from Kildrum Gardens, Creggan, Londonderry, was sentenced to seven months.
They relate to an incident at Foyle Street in the city in November 2007.
At Londonderry Crown Court, Judge Piers Grant upheld the convictions as well as a further conviction for obstructing a police officer.
Through his barrister, Donnelly told the court that he was unwilling to carry out any form of probation order or any form of community service as part of the judges sentencing options.
During the incident in 2007, Donnelly sustained a three-part fracture to his arm. He was fined £450 when originally convicted in January.
On Thursday, describing the offences as “very serious”, Judge Grant said he took into consideration Donnelly’s previous convictions.
These included assaulting police officers, hijacking, riotous behaviour and disorderly behaviour – as well as the fact that Donnelly committed the three latest offences while under a suspended sentence for a previous offence in 2006.
He jailed Donnelly for six months and also put into effect a one month suspended sentence, to run consecutively.
