Vandals destroy plaque dedicated to late Garda

Vandals have been slammed for destroying a plaque left at the scene of a Co Donegal collision which resulted in the death of Garda Gary McLoughlin.

The garda's Leitrim-based family are said to be devastated after the plaque was sprayed with paint and broken in half.

Half of the plaque was then placed on a car belonging to the brother of Garda McLoughlin's girlfriend.

Garda McLoughlin was fatally injured in 2009 when the patrol car he was in collided with a car in Muff being driven by Martin McDermott.

McDermott, from Raphoe, was sentenced to seven years in prison for the manslaughter of Garda McLoughlin. His escape from Cavan's Loughan House low-security detention facility in March of this year prompted outcry from the late garda's family and representatives of the force.

McDermott was later re-arrested in Derry.

Superintendent Kevin English is investigating the vandalism.

"It has caused untold hurt to the family of Gary McLoughlin, to his girlfriend Shauna, to their family, to the community of Buncrana and to all of Gary's colleagues who are stationed here," he told Highland Radio.

"It is an attack on Gary's family, on his closest friends and on the moral authority of An Garda Síochána here locally in Buncrana."