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‘Gingerbread man’ who taunted police gets more jail time for threatening message

While at large, the 35-year-old compared himself on Facebook to the nursery rhyme character who taunts his pursuers with the line, “Run run run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man”.

Ciarán O’Neill

Today at 21:00

A prisoner who once compared himself to the gingerbread man while on the run is facing more time behind bars.

James Donegan teased police after failing to return to jail when he was released on compassionate bail in 2018.

While at large, the 35-year-old compared himself on Facebook to the nursery rhyme character who taunts his pursuers with the line, “Run run run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man”.

However, cops did catch up with Donegan and he was jailed last year for a series of motoring offences.

Donegan, of Glenabbey Road in Derry, received another four-month prison term this week after he was convicted of sending a threatening message to a woman.

After Donegan went on the run in 2018, the PSNI posted a message on Facebook: “Hey Jimmy, don’t know if you’re aware but you’re currently wanted for arrest. You might want to think about having a wee chat with the old solicitor and handing yourself in. Pretty sure the judge won’t be thinking ‘oh, ha ha ha Jimmy, you’re good craic sir’.

Donegan replied to the message and referred to himself as the gingerbread man, before adding: “PSNI Limavady, have a good word with my solicitor. I think I need one with myself, but cheers for your continuous concern and support. Great to see yous out earning your wages boys.”

However, he was eventually caught and is now serving a two-year sentence in Magilligan Prison for the motoring offences which he admitted at Derry Crown Court last May. He also confessed to breaching bail after failing to return to prison while on compassionate leave.

The court was told that on January 12, 2019, while Donegan was on the run, an off-duty police officer saw him driving a van in Ballykelly.

A high-speed chase took place with the vehicle driven by the defendant going the wrong way round a traffic island, driving on the wrong side of the road and ramming a police vehicle. On July 12, 2022, a van was reported stolen in Co Donegal was later located at a garage in Abercorn Road in Derry. Donegan was found in the driver’s seat, the court was told.

When police approached he said: “You didn’t catch me driving.”

He then pushed a police officer before running off but was arrested a short distance away.

A breath test revealed he was over the legal alcohol limit for driving. Donegan admitted a range of charges including dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and assaulting a police officer.

The judge said Donegan’s life had been blighted by substance abuse, but that the offending merited a custodial sentence.

He sentenced Donegan to two years in prison, half of which is to be spent in custody and on licence. Donegan was also disqualified from driving for seven years.

He was back before a court this week for sending a threatening message to a woman on September 13, 2022. While the exact details of the message were not revealed in court, a police officer said it was “abusive, menacing and threatening”.

A defence solicitor said it was accepted that the message sent by Donegan was “not particularly eloquent language” but claimed it had been part of a “misunderstanding” between the defendant and the injured party.

“Despite the content of the message, he has since repaired his relationship with the injured party,” he added.

Judge Barney McElholm said Donegan was aware of what he was doing when he sent the message.