Saturday 31 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 17639Property forfeiture (no criminal charge reported) · Co. Donegal · 17 Jul 2023

Belleek man denied return of tools seized from abandoned car

Gardaí received a call about a crashed vehicle on 17 July 2023 and seized the car, which had been abandoned on a farm in County Donegal, after being told two men had left the scene. Power tools and socket sets were found in its boot, and gardaí contacted Darren Leonard, a Belleek man, as the last registered owner of the vehicle; he said he had sold it to men he did not know. No criminal charge is reported. At Ballyshannon District Court, reported on 10 April 2024, the court granted the return of one Milwaukee gun to Leonard, found no established ownership of the remaining items, and ordered them forfeited to the State on the garda application.

  1. Reported
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
Darren Leonard, a Belleek man, sought the return of power tools and socket sets from a car abandoned in Donegal.
Where
The crashed car was parked on a farm in County Donegal.
When
Gardaí received a call about a crashed vehicle on 17 July 2023.
Investigation
  • Gardaí seized the car after being told two men had left the scene.
  • Gardaí contacted Leonard as the last registered owner of the vehicle, although one source says he was contacted as its last registered insurer.
Other details
  • Leonard said he had sold the vehicle to men he did not know.
  • Power tools and socket sets were found in the boot of the car.
In court
  • The application was heard at Ballyshannon District Court and reported on 10 April 2024.
  • Leonard showed proof of purchase for a Milwaukee gun, and the court granted its return.
  • The court found no established ownership of the remaining items.
  • The court ordered the remaining items forfeited to the State on the garda application.
Charges
No criminal charge is reported.
11 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatDarren Leonard sought the return of tools from a car abandoned in Donegal. (donegallive.ie)
  • whereThe application was heard at Ballyshannon District Court. (donegallive.ie)
  • whereThe crashed car was parked on a farm. (donegallive.ie)
  • whenGardaí received a call about a crashed vehicle on July 17, 2023. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí seized the car after being told two men had left the scene. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí contacted Leonard as the last registered insurer of the vehicle. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtLeonard was shown to have a proof of purchase for a Milwaukee gun, and the court granted its return. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe court found no established ownership of the remaining items. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe court ordered the forfeiture of the tools to the State on the garda application. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherLeonard said he had sold the vehicle to men he did not know. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherPower tools and socket sets were found in the boot of the car. (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 10 Apr2024
    Otherdonegallive.ie, first report
    Belleek man denied return of tools in Ballyshannon court after ownership spat

    Court report on a forfeiture application for tools found in a crashed, abandoned car. The court granted return of one Milwaukee gun, and forfeited the other items to the State. No criminal charge is reported.