A farmer who yesterday admitted verbally abusing and threatening an English journalist and his family who were visiting Donegal as guests of Bord Failte was fined £400 and received a two-month jail sentence, suspended for five years.
Carndonagh District Court was told that Mr Derek Gallop, night editor of the Irish Mirror, was in Inishowen to write a tourism feature on the area when the incident took place close to Malin Head beach last October 27th.
Judge John O'Donnell said the defendant, John Vincent Gallagher (33), of Ballyhillion, Malin Head, had subjected Mr Gallop and his wife, Victoria, and their teenage daughters, Amy and Sophie, to a terrifying experience.
Mr Gallop told the court the incident took place as he and his family walked along the beach on the evening of October 27th. The defendant approached them, verbally abused them and acted in a threatening manner.
Mr Gallop said the defendant accused him and his family of trespassing. He said the defendant told him "and what makes it worse is that you are English. Do you not realise the Irish hate the English? You are the scum of the earth. It is bad enough that you have invaded the six counties of Northern Ireland without invading this country as well".
Mr Gallop said the defendant continued to act in a threatening and abusive manner when he and his family returned to their car. Judge O'Donnell said the defendant had not committed a public order offence on his own land, but he convicted him of an offence on a public road.
Speaking after the case, Mr Gallop said neither of his daughters would return to Inishowen again. "Sophie and Amy have both said they have no intention of coming back here because they were absolutely terrified by the incident, and that is very sad.
"However, myself and my wife, Victoria, will be very happy to come back. The welcome we generally get in Ireland is fantastic and we both accept that this was an isolated case."