Man who subjected his niece to 'sinister, lewd, and depraved' messages jailed for 10 years

William Phelan, a 57-year-old farmer from Paddock, Mountrath, Co Laois, also pleaded guilty to arson

The court heard the man pestered his adult niece with phone calls, voice messages, and posts on Facebook, and his 'derogatory and sexual' posts on social media became 'unhinged', and expressed a desire for a sexual relationship with his niece. 

A man who subjected his niece to a lengthy campaign of harassment including posting “sinister, lewd, and depraved” messages on social media as well as threatening to burn her home down has been jailed for 10 years.

William Phelan, a 57-year-old farmer from Paddock, Mountrath, Co Laois pleaded guilty to two charges of persistently pestering his adult niece through phone calls, voice messages, and posts on Facebook on dates between February 15, 2023 and July 5, 2023.