Courts

DJ Frankie Shanley sentenced to 3½ years in prison for harassing garda and hotelier

Court heard Shanley, known as DJ Frankie Beats, had 79 previous convictions including 37 for theft and fraud

Frankie Shanley made false allegations about the garda on platforms including social media, to the RTÉ newsdesk and to the Garda Commissioner

Anne Lucey
Mon Feb 27 2023 - 21:28

A 47-year-old international DJ, radio broadcaster and convicted conman has been jailed for a campaign of harassment against two people, a Co Kerry garda and a Co Clare hotelier, which included contacting media and using social media and email.

He was sentenced to 3½ years in jail with the final year suspended and the sentence backdated.

Shanley, who is known as DJ Frankie Beats and was credited with getting gardaí involved in the viral Jerusalema dance challenge in 2021, pleaded guilty to harassment of Co Kerry garda Marcus Twomey between December 1st, 2018 and September 30th, 2020.

He also pleaded guilty to harassing Co Clare hotelier Derek Logue between June and October 2019.

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He appeared in custody by video link at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee for sentencing on Monday.

He had targeted Garda Twomey after the then Tralee-based garda had entered two basic reports in 2017 of having sighted Shanley, a fraudster “of some notoriety” in Tralee, the court was told.

The sighting in Tralee was entered on the “highly confidential” Garda Pulse system by Garda Twomey, the court heard during evidence given by Det Inspector John Kelly in reply to prosecuting counsel Tom Rice.

A person unknown with access to the Pulse system “improperly disclosed” information about the entries, Det Kelly agreed with Mr Rice.

Shanley, originally from Boyle, Co Roscommon, made multiple false allegations about Garda Twomey on platforms including social media, to the RTÉ newsdesk, the editor of the Garda Review and various media as well as to the Garda Commissioner and a Garda superintendent and TDs suggesting Garda Twomey was out to destroy him, which was completely untrue, the court was told.

In his victim impact statement, Sgt Twomey, who is a member of An Garda Síochána since July 2000, told how in the course of his career he had encountered incidents and scenes of a traumatic nature but he had always been able to process and compartmentalise these.

“However, what I was subjected to by Frankie Shanley since 2017 has left a lasting effect on me and if I am honest this has been like a nightmare that would not go away,” Sgt Twomey said.

The continuous postings on Twitter and Facebook along with the sustained and continuous emails attacked his character and affected his home life and quality of life.

“I was afraid to look at my phone. I was afraid of people believing the lies he was continuously posting about me,” Sgt Twomey said.

“I would think about it in the morning and when I would be lying in bed attempting to sleep,” he said.

He had no idea why he was targeted by Shanley.

“I did nothing wrong, only my duty,” the sergeant said.

The court heard how Shanley had targeted hotelier Derek Logue in similar fashion after the west Clare hotelier gave him a job at Kilkee Bay Hotel and subsequently let him go when he did not turn up for work but had gone to Greece.

He made allegations about Mr Logue to the Clare Champion and to other hotels, the court was told.

Mr Logue did not wish to make a victim impact statement. He had told gardaí he felt the whole thing had taken enough of a toll on him, Sgt Deirdre Collins of Kilrush Garda said.

Shanley had 79 previous convictions including 37 for theft and fraud, the court was told. He was arrested in Berlin in March 2022 on a European arrest warrant and has been in custody since.

Defence counsel Rebecca Treacy said her client wished to convey his apologies and he was sincerely remorseful. He had acted on misinformation with regard to Garda Twomey. He had been trying to turn his life around at the time. There was no threat of violence and he was very much a keyboard warrior.

This was a man who at one time had a much sought-after slot on Kiss FM in the Algarve, she said.

He was working as a gardener in prison and now has a job offer in Greece as a radio presenter, the barrister said, urging the judge to take this into account.

There was alcohol involved and a history of depression since the age of 16, she said, referring to a psychologist’s report handed into court.

That also referred to personality features including narcissistic tendencies and self-absorption.

Sentencing, Judge Catherine Staines commended Sgt Twomey and said there was “a campaign of torment” against a garda for simply doing his duty.

“There was an attempt to destroy his career and reputation,” the judge said.

Judge Staines said she took into account the guilty plea, the psychologist’s report and the accused’s remorse.

She sentenced him to 3½ years imprisonment, suspending the last 12 months for two years on condition he attend alcohol treatment and psychological services.

She handed down a sentence of 12 months in the case of the harassment of Mr Logue to run concurrently with the other.

The sentence is backdated to March 29th, 2022 from when he has been in custody.

Shanley has also been ordered not to communicate with the injured parties.

“I think Garda Twomey is extremely brave to stand up and come to court,” the judge remarked.

“He is a great role model for any other garda, as indeed any other person subject to harassment,” the judge said in conclusion.

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