Judge: Menacing texts a case of ‘true love gone wrong’

“TRUE love gone wrong” was how a District Court judge described the case of a middle-aged man who sent numerous abusive texts to his ex-girlfriend over a nine-month period.

Kevin Heffernan, aged 53, of 9 Presentation Road, Gurranabraher, Cork, admitted sending the texts from the unregistered ready-to-go phone and told investigating gardaí that he had suffered a head injury and meant nothing by the texts.

Heffernan told gardaí: “I was still in love with her, I wouldn’t harm a hair on her head.”

The defendant pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge which stated that messages of a grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing nature were sent to the woman between December 2008 and September 2009.

Dennis Healy, solicitor, said the defendant had no contact with her for the past two years and apologised for his behaviour.

“This is one of those cases of the curse of mobile phone and the free texts going with them. Somewhere along the line Mr Heffernan got a crowbar across the head, you can see it, his head is scarred and dented. He did suffer memory loss,” Mr Healy said.

Judge John O’Neill said: “This was true love gone wrong and for some time he has not been annoying this lady anymore.

“If he pays €100 to Simon, I will strike out the charge. If he does not I will record a conviction and fine him €200.”