Gardaí probe threats to TD from anti-abortion pair

Gardaí are investigating threats made to a Fine Gael TD by anti-abortion campaigners who distributed leaflets with her details around her constituency.

Meath East TD Regina Doherty said gardaí told her the men had breached the Public Order Act by distributing the material.

Ms Doherty, a mother of four, said she had shown gardaí photos she took of the men, who were delivering leaflets door-to-door at a number of estates near her home in Ratoath on Wednesday.

Constituents also complained to gardaí about the men and their material.

Ms Doherty said she was left “shaking” after being threatened by “mad loonies” distributing the leaflets using her name.

Similar to leaflets targeting Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer in Cork last month, the leaflets contained images of a late-term foetus and the Holocaust alongside Ms Doherty’s picture and phone number.

They were sealed in an envelope which said ‘adults only’.

Ms Doherty said she felt “intimidated” after confronting the campaigners.

“The actual images used in the leaflet are actually quite disturbing and putting them through people’s doors where children have access to them is just not on,” Ms Doherty said.

“People were ringing me because they thought I was behind the leaflet but I had absolutely nothing to do with it and wanted to see what was going on.”