Áras bomb threat woman pleads guilty to harassing priest

A woman who sent obscene phone messages threatening to bomb President Michael D Higgins and several government ministers has pleaded guilty to harassing a priest.

Anne Fennell, aged 57, of Monastery Gate Green, Clondalkin, yesterday pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of harassing Fr Desmond Byrne by any means including telephone at Woodford Drive, Clondalkin on October 8, 2006 and between October 5, 2005 and January 10, 2006.

Last week, Fennell had her sentence for sending obscene phone messages adjourned so she could continue with psychological therapy. The court heard on one occasion Anne Fennell had referred to President Higgins as a “ladyboy” and on another told the receptionist “the President and Sabrina Higgins would go home in plastic bags if they set foot on English soil”.

She made repeated threats to bomb the president over a number of phonecalls in April 2014 and again in October the same year.

The court also heard the entire area around the Dáil had to be searched on November 18, 2014 when Fennell called to say there would be a bomb at the main gate. The usher who took the call told gardaí that Fennell, a former An Post worker, had hung up “screaming”.

She pleaded guilty to making persistent, annoying phonecalls and sending obscene or menacing phone messages to Áras an Uachtaráin, the Department of Finance, the European Commission representation, An Post Dublin Mail Centre and the constituency offices of TDs Alan Kelly, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Noel Coonan between February 2 and December 1, 2014.

Yesterday, Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the harassment sentence hearing until July and remanded Fennell on continuing bail.

The judge also directed that a victim impact statement be prepared.