Man visiting wife’s grave blackmailed after kiss claim

A 43-year-old woman sat beside a widower twice her age on a bench at a graveyard and later called to his house blackmailing him to pay her €200 every fortnight claiming he had kissed her.

Catherine O’Sullivan, of Ballyhampshire, Castlelyons, Fermoy, Co Cork, later admitted the 86-year-old had not kissed her. She pleaded guilty to a charge of demanding money with menaces. She demanded a total of €1,400 on October 5, 2015. She had no previous convictions and appealed against a three-month term imposed at the district court.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said it was a particularly nasty crime and remanded her in custody for a week to consider the appeal at Cork Circuit Appeals Court.

Sian Langley, defending, said the appellant brought €1,180 to court as an offer of compensation. Frank Nyhan, state solicitor, said the victim did not want her money and she could give it to charity.

O’Sullivan testified yesterday: “I am extremely sorry for what I put him through and what I put his family through. I am extremely sorry for the pain I caused.”

Sgt James Hallahan said the victim was visiting his wife’s grave when O’Sullivan sat down beside him and chatted for a while. She later called to his home with a letter stating he had kissed her while on the bench and she was demanding seven payments of €200. She put seven envelopes into the main envelope and said the money should be handed in to a local off-licence. The pensioner paid her nothing and his family reported the blackmail to gardaí.

The judge said:“I am very conscious she has no previous but it is a particularly nasty offence. I will remand her in custody for one week.”