Suspended term for stalking woman

A 23-year-old farm worker living on a remote peninsula in Clare who stalked an older married woman has avoided jail.

Judge Gerald Keys at Ennis Circuit Court imposed a two-year suspended sentence on Conor Haugh in the harassment case.

Haugh, aged 23, of Killballyowen, Cross on the Loop Head, peninsula in west Clare, pleaded guilty to harassing the 43-year-old woman between February 2014 and January 5 last year.

In sentencing the farm worker, Judge Keys warned Haugh “if there is any contact whatsoever, orally, by text or phone with the woman or members of her immediate family or any other breach, you will serve the two years”.

Yvonne Quinn, defending Haugh, told the court that her client had complied with the Probation Service, had no previous convictions, is extremely remorseful and that the injured party in the case has been very fair to him and did not want to make a victim impact statement.

She said: “Mr Haugh is most anxious to reach some conclusion and finalise the matter. He has found it extremely difficult this hanging over him for the past year.”

Haugh and his victim lived just one mile apart on the peninsula and she did not know of him prior to the texts being sent.

In evidence given at an earlier court date, Garda Adrian Cosgrove said that, in one text in 2014, Haugh sent to the woman, he texted: “I think you’re a MILF. I saw you over the Summer with your tanned body. Very hot.”

Garda Cosgrove said that the victim was not the only woman to receive texts from Haugh and the Garda investigation found that Haugh was sending texts to other women in the area and one as far away as Kerry.

Garda Cosgrove said the typical profile of the ladies is that there were in their 40s and 50s and married with children.

Stephen Coughlan, prosecuting, said that Haugh “had become obsessed with the older woman”.

Haugh spent a number of months in custody on remand for the offence last year and was only released on bail in July last year pending sentence with strict conditions including that he make no contact with the victim.

However, the State last October applied that Haugh have his bail revoked after he breached the terms of his bail by making contact with the woman.

Haugh texted the woman twice on September 10, 2015. In one text, Haugh said that he fancied the woman since he was 13 and only wanted to be friends.

In the first text, Haugh told the woman: “I’m sorry. I don’t know what is up with me.

“Please don’t go to the Guards. I swear that I am really sorry for everything and I really regret everything.

“I don’t know why I did stuff that i did. I feel sick after all I did to you.

“I was out of my mind and didn’t mean any harm to you. I am really sorry.”

A second text sent later that day by Haugh read: “I hope you don’t go to the Guards because I don’t want to go to prison.

“Please give me one more chance. I am really sorry for everything. I can’t sleep at night after all I did to you — I am so sorry.”

After Haugh admitted in court that he did not realise the stupidity of what he did, Judge Keys decided not to revoke bail.