Dublin Circuit Criminal CourtA barrister will be sentenced next week after he left over 120 "creepy" and "sexually intimidating" voicemail messages on a younger colleague's mobile phone.
Paul McLoughlin (50), North Circular Road, changed his plea to guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after two days of evidence during which the jury heard 62 recordings of the voicemail messages.
He had initially denied harassing Lorcan Staines (30) between May 1st, 2006, and May 14th, 2010.
McLoughlin has no previous convictions and although he was a barrister at the time, he is no longer practising.
During the trial last May, the jury heard the voicemail messages which Mr Staines had recorded, some of which repeatedly stated “I want you to be my boyfriend”.
The phrase “fatal attraction” was used many times in the messages.
Judge Patricia Ryan had been told by Blaise O’Carroll SC, defending, that his client was “an extremely vulnerable person”. However, the most recent psychiatric assessment of McLoughlin seemed to be optimistic about his progress. He had found the six weeks he had spent in custody “a shocking experience”.
Judge Ryan said she needed time to consider the various medical reports and testimonials before the court and adjourned the case to next Wednesday after remanding McLoughlin on continuing bail.