Tuesday, February 07, 2012
An unemployed builder has been given a three-year suspended prison sentence after admitting to blackmailing a married woman over footage of the two enjoying intimate moments.
Garda Claire O’Shaughnessy told Ennis Circuit Court that Alan Custy, aged 35, of 76 Dún na hInse, Ennis, Co Clare, and his victim are both in relationships and met on a dating website.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said that Custy demanded €15,000 from the woman, or else he would send the footage to her husband after he told her he had secretly filmed them having intimate moments in his 4x4.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said that Custy has a partner and was the father of two children from that relationship, and has another child from a previous relationship.
She said that following a complaint from the woman, gardaí searched Custy’s 4x4 and found no secret camera, and Custy later admitted in a Garda interview that there was no camera or footage.
Judge Carroll Moran imposed the suspended jail term, stating that what Custy did "was a nasty thing to do".
In court, Custy pleaded guilty to seeking the €15,000 with menaces from the woman on dates between July 14 and July 19, 2010.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said that Custy and the woman — who are both from Ennis — had registered on connectingsingles.com and smooch.com. She said that both the complainant and the accused "admitted that most of the people who use these websites are not single".
Garda O’Shaughnessy said that Custy told the woman that he was single, didn’t have any children and gave her a wrong Ennis address.
On Custy demanding the money, Garda O’Shaughnessy said: "There were several text messages about when this money was to be handed over to him and amount required."
Garda O’Shaughnessy told the court that Custy said he needed the money to pay the tax-man.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said that the two met over a period of 10 days in July 2010 after meeting via the smooch.com website.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said that in a Garda interview: "Mr Custy at first stated that it was a joke, that he didn’t intend it going this far, that he didn’t intend for it to turn into blackmail."
She said: "He admitted that he did send the messages and he did co-operate with us."
Brian McInerney, defending, said: "This is a rather bizarre case I would respectfully submit. It is highly unusual and a matter involving two attached persons that got out of control.
"The accused recognises this. He doesn’t know what came over him. He shouldn’t have been on the site in the first place. He doesn’t know what took hold of him to lead to this particular exchange of text messages. It has created some considerable difficulties with his partner."
Mr McInerney said that the blackmailing was "a very short and concentrated burst and came to a very swift end when gardaí got involved".
"Given the nature of evidence, the accused will find himself subject of considerable discussion amongst the general public tomorrow and in the days ahead thereafter. That will be a very significant embarrassment for him.
"It is an unpleasant matter for all, neither accused, society or victim will benefit from his incarceration. He apologises unreservedly to the victim of the crime."
Judge Carroll Moran said: "Blackmail is a insidious crime. It is mean and it can have the most appalling consequences for the victim."
Judge Moran said that he would suspend the sentence and Custy entered a bond that he have no contact with the injured party and be of good behaviour.
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