Threats delay judge’s decision

A judge yesterday adjourned sentencing of a ‘neighbour from hell’ after hearing an anonymous letter containing specific threats has recently been sent to his victim, Raymond Crowley.

At Ennis Circuit Court, State counsel Stephen Coughlan said yesterday Mr Crowley has made 13 separate complaints since February 12 to gardaí, “not so much in respect of the activities of Martin McLoughlin, but of his wider family”.

Last November a jury found father of seven grown-up children Mr McLoughlin, 68, of Ballymaconna, Barefield, Ennis, guilty of threatening to kill his neighbour, Raymond Crowley, in 2010.

The jury also found the retired Dept of Agriculture officer described in court as a ‘neighbour from hell’ guilty of harassing his neighbours, Raymond and Patrizia Crowley, over a six-year period from October 1, 2006 to March 31, 2012. In court in February, mother-of-two Ms Crowley said Mr McLoughlin had destroyed her life and and she is now a prisoner in her own home.

Judge Gerald Keyes was due to sentence Mr McLoughlin yesterday. However, Mr Coughlan requested sentencing be adjourned to allow gardaí investigate the fresh complaints.

In court yesterday, Mr Coughlan said each complaint “of itself is on the face of it apparently innocent but taken together as a whole, they amount to the prolonging of the activity that was subject of the original case”.

Mr Coughlan said the original of the anonymous letter pushed through the Crowley letter box “is with a forensic science laboratory to determine whether fingerprint or DNA evidence can be extracted”.

He said: “The content of the letter is very disquieting to say the least and contains specific threats”.

Mr Coughlan said Judge Keyes had already issued a warning to Mr McLoughlin not to have anything to do with the Crowleys.

Mr Coughlan told the court: “I think it is in the interest that the warning be extended to other and all members of the McLoughlin family. Another person has decided to take up cudgels, let’s put it that way.”

He said that “the difficulty is that other people have become involved” and asked the judge to warn the larger McLaughlin family “not to watch, beset or put in fear any member of the Crowley family”.

Counsel for Mr McLoughlin Antoinette Simon said no evidence has been provided of the allegations in relation to 13 complaints.

Judge Keyes adjourned sentencing to April 28 and further remanded Mr McLoughlin on bail to that date.