Former employee sent letters to boss of construction firm alleging drug use on building sites

Gary O’Donovan, 42, of 65 Willow Park, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on a plea of guilty to a charge of harassment of the builder

The letters alleged the firm was building sub-standard homes and that all of the houses they built should be knocked down. File picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

The owner of a construction sub-contracting firm building houses in Cork was harassed by letters sent to him and others alleging some of his employees were taking drugs on building sites.

The letters alleged the firm was building sub-standard homes and that all of the houses they built should be knocked down.

The writer – who signed the messages in other people’s names – also claimed he had sent similar letters to gardaí, Revenue Commissioners, Construction Industry Federation, Nama, and to the main builder who employed the builder as a sub-contractor over a period of 20 years.

However, it turned out the letters were written by a disgruntled former employee with mental health issues who has now confessed to the harassment and apologised for all the distress he caused.

Gary O’Donovan of 65 Willow Park, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on a plea of guilty to a charge of harassment of the builder.

Letters of harassment

Garda Paul Cullen testified the injured party called to gardaí after several months of receiving letters of harassment.

“He believed the letters had been sent by a former employee. The letters were received between August 2019 and May 2020. Four of them were sent to his home address and six were sent to [his employer], for whom he was a sub-contractor.

“It was alleged he was carrying out sub-standard work and alleged he was employing drug users. They were signed in different names. He said all of the houses that he built should be knocked down because they were sub-standard.

“The accused was found to be an employee dating back to between 2002 and 2004. The accused was identified with post marks and stamp numbers unique to Irishtown post office in Clonmel,” Garda Cullen testified.

CCTV from this premises was then examined and the accused identified. As soon as O’Donovan was approached for questioning he fully admitted sending the letters.

Victim impact statement

The sub-contractor said in a victim impact statement that he and his wife found the whole experience gave them huge anxiety as allegations were made he was not to be trusted and that houses he built should be demolished.

Garda Cullen said the defendant had a previous conviction for this type of harassment. In the first case, he wrote letters to a relative and got a six-month suspended jail term.

Garda Cullen said Gary O’Donovan was very cooperative, polite and well-mannered in the course of the interviews.

Counsel for the defendant Sinead Behan said the 42-year-old married man had written letters of apology to everyone involved and expressed remorse, stating he had mental health difficulties. At one stage, he said he was traumatised by seeing drug use on building sites.

Ms Behan said the defendant acted out of a background of vulnerability rather than in the hope making a gain for himself. He also attended 45 counselling sessions to address his issues.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed an 18-month suspended jail term and ordered him to have no contact with any of the parties to whom he sent letters for the next five years.