Thursday 29 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. 12796Possession of a knife (Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act), assault, drugs, public order and criminal damage · Co. Donegal · 31 Jan 2023

Kilmacrennan man given suspended sentence over knife held to father's throat

Joe Toye, 27, of Kilmacrennan, Co Donegal, was given a five-month prison sentence at Letterkenny District Court, suspended for one year on a Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act charge. Other charges were taken into consideration.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced2 Sep
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
15 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA Kilmacrennan man held a knife to his father's throat during a row at their home. (donegallive.ie)
  • whatGardaí had to wrestle with Toye, but he got a knife and held it to his father's throat. (donegallive.ie)
  • whenGardaí were called to the family home in Kilmacrennan on January 31, 2023 after an altercation between Toye and his father. (donegallive.ie)
  • causeToye's solicitor said the case was a classic mental health situation and that Toye was now taking his medication. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationToye was arrested at 5.40pm and the knife was found in the house. (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeToye faced charges under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, assault, drugs, public order and criminal damage. (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeToye was charged with criminal damage at his sister's home in Abbey Village, Kilmacrennan, after smashing a kitchen window with a fence post. (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeOn October 10, 2023 at Teevickmoy, Stranorlar, Toye was arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act after €30 of cannabis was found on him. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtToye appeared at Letterkenny District Court. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceToye was given a five-month prison sentence, suspended for one year on the Section 11 charge under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceAll other charges were taken into consideration. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherOn April 1, 2023, Toye was abusive to staff at Letterkenny University Hospital and roared at a nurse. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherToye called gardaí pigs and said he would sort them out before calming down and apologising. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherToye had previous convictions for drugs offences, road traffic offences and theft. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherThe judge said the offences warranted a prison sentence but that Toye seemed to have turned his life around. (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 2 Sep2025
    Sentenceddonegallive.ie, first report
    Donegal man who held knife to father's throat manages to avoid jail

    First report on this case in the list. Covers the sentencing of Joe Toye and sets out the knife incident at his family home, plus other earlier and later incidents he was charged with.

    convicted, Joe Toye, 27, male, named, irish (judged from name)Joe Toyevictim