Court hears woman got calls, emails, and letters

A thousand missed calls and a thousand emails were allegedly sent to a woman by a man accused of harassing her.

Yesterday, he also admitted sending her five letters from Cork Prison.

Ali Arafa, an Egyptian national, denies a harassment charge and a burglary charge arising out of the case. He agreed he had sent five letters to the woman since going into custody, but said there was nothing threatening in the letters, which were vetted by prison authorities.

Solicitor Eddie Burke said no conditions barring Arafa from having contact with the woman were imposed.

Detective Garda Eamon Feehan said it was alleged that, in a six-week period up to early August, the complainant received 1,000 missed calls and 1,000 emails. Remanded in custody since the end of August on a charge of entering the woman’s apartment as a trespasser, he sent five letters from Cork Prison.

Asked by his solicitor when the relationship ended, the defendant replied: “It never ended.”

Inspector John Deasy asked the defendant if he felt it was normal behaviour to break into the woman’s apartment when she was away and then send her a photograph of the interior of her own home. The defendant said he only went there because he was worried about the woman as he had not heard from her.

Arafa, 31, of no fixed address, is charged with entering a house at Sarsfield Rd, Cork, as a trespasser with intent to steal and harassment.

While an Arabic interpreter was sworn in to translate proceedings for Arafa at Cork District Court yesterday, the defendant spoke in English to give evidence.

In an objection to bail, Det Garda Feehan said: “I cannot trust him to cease and desist in communicating with this lady, which is all that this lady wants.”

Arafa was remanded in custody until tomorrow at Cork District Court.