Courts

Lockdown isolation blamed by married man for explicit letter to island newcomer

Middle-aged man ordered to pay €3,000 within 30 days over letter featuring offensive sexual remarks

The man, who was not named due to restrictions, was found to have sent the letter at an island post office. Photograph: Alan Betson

Ann Healy
Thu Oct 13 2022 - 13:41

The isolation caused by a Covid-19 lockdown - coupled with borderline depression - were excuses proffered by a middle-aged married man for sending a “grossly offensive” letter containing explicit sexual remarks to a young woman shortly after she had moved to a small island community.

When the matter first came before Clifden District Court in July, the man claimed he did not know why he sent the letter to a woman he barely knew.

The man, who cannot be identified due to reporting restrictions imposed by two different judges, pleaded guilty to a charge of posting the letter at the island post office between May 21st and May 26th last year, contrary to Section Four of the Harassment, Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.

Sergeant Damien Prendergast told the court in Clifden that the woman received the letter containing sexual remarks which were offensive. It also referred to photos of her posted on social media, also causing serious offence.

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Gardaí traced the stamps on the envelope to the island’s post office and ascertained they had been bought by this particular islander, Sgt Prendergast said.

At first, the man denied any knowledge of the letter, but he later attended Clifden Garda station where he admitted he was the sender.

The father of one who has lived on the island his whole life told gardaí he was embarrassed and promised he would not do it again.

“I honestly don’t know why I did it… I don’t even really know the girl… Say to the girl I’m sorry. There was no danger to her,” he remarked in this statement to gardaí.

Defence solicitor JJ Mannion said his client was deeply ashamed and full of remorse.

“I have to describe it as an aberration on his part. It’s completely out of character. He has lived with the anguish of what he’s done. He never had any contact with the poor unfortunate girl since or before, other than the letter,” he added.

“He accepts it’s a serious offence and accepts it should never have happened. He’s facing up to what he did.”

Judge Alan Mitchell previously said the missive was “bordering on infatuation or obsession”.

Describing it as a “very serious offence”, Judge Marie Keane, who was presiding in Clifden court in July, noted it was a communication with a stranger and it occurred during a Covid-19 lockdown.

Contacting people who were on social media was “a huge problem besetting society”, she said.

“People feel they can be abusive on the basis of anonymity. That’s not the case. I accept there was no malice…it clearly was a serious lapse of judgement on his part. I’ve no doubt it affected the injured party very seriously”, she observed.

Judge Keane adjourned sentence to last week’s court in Galway to hear from the complainant.

Mr Mannion assured the judge his client “would not be found wanting” in regard to financial compensation for the unfortunate woman.

“He does not have an explanation why he sent such a letter. His only explanation is the isolation on the island. They were coming out of a Covid-19 lockdown and he’s also a borderline depressive,” Mr Mannion said of his client.

Judge Keane said she wanted him to pay €3,000 to the complainant within the next 30 days and if he did that, she would apply Section 1.1 of the Probation of Offenders Act, which does not record a conviction.

The judge refused an application by the press to lift reporting restrictions.

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