Autistic woman harassed former colleague’s wife

An autistic woman who harassed a former colleague’s wife has been given a suspended sentence. The court accepted she had ceased contacting her victim.

Grainne O’Toole, 42, made 310 abusive texts, calls and tweets to Jennifer Doran. In one month, she made an average of 35 calls a day.

O’Toole, of Willow Park Grove, Glasnevin, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to harassing Ms Doran between October 1, 2011, and February 2, 2012.

In July, 2013, Garda Noel Murray told the court that O’Toole had been working in Meridian VAT International in Tallaght. Her supervisor, Colm Doran, had a meeting with O’Toole over personnel issues, which he regarded as favourable. However, soon afterwards he started getting “inappropriate phone contact”, and unwanted gifts, from O’Toole.

O’Toole resigned from her job, but became fixated with Mr Doran and with his wife, whom she had never met nor even seen. O’Toole, who was diagnosed with autism and obsessive persecution delusions, again tweeted about her victim in July 2014 and was remanded in custody.

In October 2014, Judge Patrick McCartan granted bail and adjourned the sentence for one year to allow O’Toole to get treatment and to continue her college studies, warning that she would be sent to prison if she reoffended.

Yesterday, presenting a “short, sweet, and positive” probation report, Cathal McGreal, BL, said O’Toole had come to no adverse attention in the last year and had attained a 2.1 grade in her third year in college.

Suspending a two-year jail term for five years, Judge McCartan said Ms O’Toole had “done Ms Doran a great wrong”, and if there was any indication of her returning to her old set of behaviours, she would be imprisoned. Judge McCartan said he was “pleased, gratified and relieved” that O’Toole had made progress.