AN IRVINESTOWN man has been charged with offering to arrange the return of stolen property to  in exchange for thousands of pounds, and with blackmailing a man out of €30,000. 

Matthew McDonagh (29) of Hudson Heights, Irvinestown, appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday for a preliminary enquiry (PE) into two charges of fraud by false representation and one count of blackmail. 

The first two charges of fraud relate to December 1st last year. McDonagh is charged with offering, to arrange the return of a stolen trailer and a rock hammer, as well as providing two cubes of diesel, in exchange for €3,300. He is also charged with offering, in exchange for €10,000, to help others in the recovery of the same items on the same date and to provide four cubes of diesel.

Both charges state the same alleged victim.   

McDonagh is also charged with blackmailing the same man out of €30,000 on December 2nd last year. 

The charges were put to McDonagh in court on Monday. A representative from the Public Prosecution Service said, based on the papers before the court, the defendant had a prima facie case to answer. 

District Judge Michael Ranaghan adjourned the case and released McDonagh on his own bail of £500, with strict conditions.