Man convicted of harassing Cork woman breached order banning him from Ireland for 20 years

At time of offence defendant suffered acute psychotic episode characterised by grandiose delusions where he was of the belief he was 'king of Ireland', court told

Defendant was deemed fit to plead after treatment at the Central Mental Hospital, court heard. Picture: Colin Keegan/ Collins 

Florid grandiose delusions by a man with schizoaffective disorder prompted him to declare he was “king of Ireland” when he breached a court order banning him from returning to Ireland after being convicted of harassing a woman in West Cork.

Last year, a psychiatrist declared the man accused of breaching a court order banning him from Ireland for 20 years was mentally unfit to plead in his case.

However, medical treatment, including the use of clozapine medication at the Central Mental Hospital, was described as very effective for Matthew Notman of Laburnum House, Laburnum Avenue, Kirkby, Nottingham, and on Monday, Dr Dearbhla Duffy, a consultant forensic psychiatrist at the CMH, stated the accused was fit to plead now.

Paula McCarthy, defence barrister, asked if the accused could be arraigned on the charge of breaching the order and he then pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The defence barrister and prosecution barrister Brendan Kelly were both in agreement that the family of the defendant had arranged for ongoing psychiatric treatment back in the UK, and that a backdated prison sentence, with the balance of it suspended, would enable Mr Notman to avail of that.

Detective Garda Martin Bohane, who investigated the case, said this would make sense and he would have no issue with the defendant returning to the UK in those circumstances.

Judge Helen Boyle wanted some reassurance for the victim in the case that if Mr Notman returned to Ireland in the future, he would be detained at the port or airport where he arrived. 

Det Garda Bohane said it could be flagged with immigration officers at ports and airports that the defendant should be detained until the arrival of gardaí if he ever did return to Ireland within the 20 years for which he is prohibited.

The 2022 court order that Mr Notman was charged with breaching required him to stay out of Ireland for 20 years and not to communicate directly or indirectly with a woman living in West Cork, having been convicted of harassing her.

The allegation was that Mr Notman communicated with the woman on Facebook Messenger on November 13 and 14, 2024, and entered Ireland by ferry from the UK on November 10, 2024.

Around that time, he was admitted to hospital following an acute psychotic episode characterised by grandiose delusions where he was of the belief that he was the “king of Ireland” returning to make the woman “the queen of Ireland”.

Judge Boyle said she needed to consider the matter and adjourned the case for finalisation on May 20, with the accused remanded in custody at the Midlands Prison until then.