A man suffering from paranoid delusions sent 22 abusive e-mails to members of the Jewish community, telling them he wanted to "expose to the world the truth about Jewish people", Drogheda District Court heard yesterday.
Judge Flann Brennan adjourned the proceedings in relation to the abusive e-mails until July 14th when he will consider a probation report. Over a two-month period last year, David Hughes (41), Fair Street, Drogheda, Co Louth, sent the abusive e-mails, spray-painted swastikas on four Dublin synagogues and twice defaced the Irish-Jewish museum in Dublin with anti-Semitic graffiti.
Hughes sent the abusive e-mails last May and defaced the properties last May and June. On September 21st last, at Cloverhill District Court, Hughes was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for criminal damage to four Dublin synagogues. Hughes was released three months later on bail and is appealing the conviction before Dublin Central Criminal Court next month.
On February 3rd, at Balbriggan District Court, Hughes was placed on six months' probation for twice vandalising the Irish-Jewish museum.
Investigating officer in relation to the e-mails Sgt Seamus Houlihan, of Kevin Street Garda station, told the court: "The broad thrust of the e-mails were that he wanted to expose to the world the truth about Jewish people and see them leave Ireland. There was no specific threat of violence."
The court heard that 20 e-mails were sent to the secretary of the Irish Jewish Community office in Dublin, Michael Coleman.
Two more e-mails were sent to individual members of the Jewish community.
Alison Brennan, solicitor for Hughes, said her client was suffering from "delusions of persecution" due to his mental illness when he sent the e-mails.
Presenting Judge Brennan with his psychological reports, Ms Brennan said her client had "mental illness to a severe degree" at the time and was a paranoid schizophrenic. She added that he was not part of any anti-Semitic group.
Sgt Houlihan told the court that, when arrested, Hughes said he could not remember sending the e-mails. The court heard that he also suffered from epilepsy and sustained a head injury in the past.
Ms Brennan said she believed these factors were linked to his mental illness.
"I've had discussions with his psychiatrists . . . He could appear to be stable one minute and then not the next," she said.
Adjourning the case, Judge Brennan said: "He's 41 and up until 2005, he's been in no trouble . . . It's clear something went wrong a short time ago."