'I will destroy you': Operation Transformation's Eddie Murphy was in fear due to poison pen letter

Court hears psychologist's victim impact statement as man who harassed and threatened him is jailed for four months

Dr Eddie Murphy, who was the clinical psychologist on RTÉ's 'Operation Transformation', told the court in Portlaoise he had to turn his home into a 'fortress' after being targeted with a poison pen letter a week after his mother’s death. Picture: Dan Linehan

Operation Transformation psychologist Eddie Murphy has told how he had to turn his home into a “fortress” after being targeted with a poison pen letter a week after his mother’s death.

Dr Murphy delivered a victim impact statement in Portlaoise District Court on Thursday, where 59-year-old Paul Mangan of 25 The Green, Liffey Hall, Newbridge, Co Kildare was sentenced to four months in prison and ordered to pay €3,000 to Dr Murphy after he pleaded guilty to a single charge under Section 4 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.

Judge Andrew Cody said, after reading the letter sent to Dr Murphy, that the correspondence was “shocking, disgusting and despicable — it must have been terrifying to receive it". 

Garda Rebecca Cleary said that on October 31, 2023, the typed letter was delivered to Dr Murphy’s workplace at Portarlington Enterprise Centre in Co Laois.

As his mother had just recently died, Dr Murphy thought initially that the envelope contained a Mass card. However, in his victim impact statement, he outlined that the envelope contained a letter which included an “allegation that he was having an affair” with Mangan’s wife, and detailed threats against him.

'Significant distress, fear, and harm'

Dr Murphy told the court that he was making the statement on behalf of himself and his wife, who was dealing with a cancer diagnosis when the letter was received, just a week after his mother’s death.

He said Mangan’s wife worked on a team managed by Dr Murphy but said that he had never met Mangan.

He said Mangan had inflicted “significant distress, fear, and harm” by “coming to my workplace, issuing threats and by attempting to damage my personal and professional reputation".

He said the interaction by Mangan was “calculated, and deeply disturbing, intrusive” and had shaken his family’s personal security by “violating our home, my workplace, privacy and peace”.

Mangan wrote: 'I will destroy you' 

He said the letter warned of vengeance and extreme consequences, such as “I will destroy you” and “I will confront you at your office”. He threated that he would contact Dr Murphy’s colleagues and superiors.

Dr Murphy described the threats as terrifying and explicit, outlining one threat that said “I would be hearing from him up close and personal”.

Mangan threatened to “bring Armageddon and so much trouble into your world”, Dr Murphy said. He continued: 

Our home, our place of safety, became a fortress. We put in security cameras, alarms and had no sense of peace. 

He was diagnosed with acute stress disorder, and was continuously wondering if Mangan would follow through on his threats. He felt constant hyper-vigilance and always parked his car in a well-lit area.

He has had to avail of counselling.

Mangan's Arrest and charge

Mangan was arrested on December 17, 2024 and charged. He gave a cautioned statement in which he admitted having handed in the letter to the receptionist in Dr Murphy’s workplace. He said he did not see Dr Murphy, or make any attempt to see him during that visit.

He said the letter said that “I knew there was something going on between him and my wife”. He added in the cautioned statement: “The gist of it was to stay out of my family’s affairs.” 

He added: “There was no physical threats, nor would I dream of it.” He also said: “There was no physical threat to him, just to his image.” Mangan's solicitor, Josephine Fitzpatrick, said his marriage has broken down, partly because of the incident.

Judge: Letter was 'as bad as you can get'

Judge Cody questioned why the DPP did not direct that the case be heard at circuit court level where a higher sentence could be passed. He said the maximum sentence open to him at district court level was six months, and he gave a four-month sentence, taking into account his guilty plea.

The judge said the letter was “as bad as you can get in terms of the threats, the name calling and the allegations.” He added: “The fact that this would be sent by a mental health professional is equally shocking.”