Phoebe’s mother: My pain is unbearable

THE mother of bullied schoolgirl Phoebe Prince yesterday described her continuing unbearable pain as three of her daughter’s tormentors pleaded guilty to harassing the teenager in the weeks before her death.

Flannery Mullins, 18, Sharon Valazquez, 17, and Ashley Longe, 18, were all given probation by a court in Massachusetts after a deal was struck between prosecutors, the defence and Phoebe’s family.

It follows guilty pleas on Wednesday by two other defendants in the case, Sean Mulveyhill, and Kayla Narey, who were also given probation after pleading guilty to criminal harassment.

Phoebe’s mother, Anne O’Brien, was allowed to read victim impact statements before each sentence was handed down.

Ms O’Brien turned to Mullins and said: “Flannery Mullins’ numerous threats to beat [Phoebe] up made school for Phoebe become intolerable.”

Ms O’Brien told the court how she has lost a “beautiful, intelligent, gregarious daughter”, how she will no longer hear her “lovely mezzo soprano voice” in the family home and how a life with promise of high achievement was cut short.

Mullins pleaded guilty to interfering with Phoebe’s civil rights and with her right to enjoy public education.

Prosecutors detailed how Mullins began issuing threats in January 2010 after she heard rumours Phoebe had begun a relationship with Austin Renaud.

Even after being pulled up by staff, Mullins is alleged to have said: “I am just going to mess with her head.”

Mullins was placed on probation until her 19th birthday next January, ordered to stay away from the Prince/O’Brien family, told she must complete 100 hours of community service working with at-risk children and must not benefit financially from the high-profile case.

As Ms O’Brien read out her statement, her voice cracking with emotion as she revealed that she has not yet buried Phoebe’s ashes, Mullins showed little emotion.

This was in contrast to co-defendant Sharon Valazquez, who began sobbing as Ms O’Brien accused her of being full of anger and physical aggression.

“Phoebe was sensitive and gentle. She feared all forms of aggression. She did not even know who Sharon Valazquez was yet faced physical threats from her,” Ms O’Brien said.

Valazquez, a friend of Mullins who allegedly offered to beat Phoebe up, pleaded guilty to criminal harassment of Phoebe.

She was sentenced to probation until her 18th birthday in July, told to stay away from the Prince family and must carry out 50 hours of community service working with at-risk and disadvantaged children.

Phoebe, 15, hanged herself at the home she shared with her mother and siblings in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The family had moved to the United States from Co Clare in the summer of 2009.

Some months into the school year, she began relationships with two boys, drawing the ire of a clique within the school. The two boys also became involved in a campaign of harassment that prosecutors said led directly to her death.

She was threatened, verbally abused and on the day she killed herself was subjected to prolonged harassment in front of large numbers of fellow students, then followed, abused further and had a can thrown at her from a car window.

Prosecutors had originally accused the defendants of multiple charges of harassment and bullying, while also charging Mulveyhill and Renaud with statutory rape.

That charge was dropped in Mulveyhill’s case but Renaud is due to go on trial in July accused of having sex with the underage Phoebe.

For Ms O’Brien the last two days have offered her an opportunity to reveal just how deeply Phoebe’s death has impacted her and her family.

She read one of her daughter’s final text messages, which described her growing desperation over the bullying: “I think Sean condoning this is one of the final nails in my coffin.”

Mulveyhill, 18, after pleading guilty to criminal harassment was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service with at-risk youths. Charges of statutory rape and violating her civil rights were dismissed.

Kayla Narey, 18, admitted to sufficient facts to a criminal harassment charge. Charges of violating Prince’s civil rights were dismissed.

It almost draws to a close a case that drew international attention to school bullying, leading to new anti-bullying measures being enacted across the United States.

Ms O’Brien said she had hoped the completion of the court cases might bring some peace. “It has not,” she said. “My pain is unbearable and will stay with me until my own death.”