Court: A MAN purporting to be a police officer rang a workplace in Tyrone to obtain a female employee’s phone number and shift times.
At the time of the incident the woman was being harassed by her former partner Nathan McDonagh (21) of Kesh Road, Coolaness, Irvinestown. Investigating police officers later found her phone number and shift details in his possession.
The person who called the employee claimed he was a PSNI officer named ‘Colin Fox’ and gave his serial number, however there was no police officer of that name or number. Omagh Magistrates Court was also told the name ‘Colin Fox’ with the false serial number was found in McDonagh’s possession.
He admitted carrying out a campaign of harassment against his victim between April 3 and April 17 last year.
He was sentenced to three months jail, suspended for two years. District Judge Laura Ivers also imposed a two year restraining order.
The court was told he rang the woman several times despite her asking him to refrain from calling her.
Her workplace also got the call from a man claiming to be a police officer asking for her details. The employee who received the call gave the details to the caller.
His victim also reported that she was driving towards Trillick and she saw McDonagh in a white Transit van on the other side of the road. The van turned and followed her car for two miles until she turned into her family home.
He previously received a probation order and community service work in connection to an offence of criminal damage that involved the same victim.
Defence barrister Joe McCann said the offending which was over a two week time-frame was “clearly an inability to let go off the relationship that had come to an end on March 1 just before the incidents occurred”.
Mr McCann added, “As a result of the break-up he attempted to take his life and is on medication. He now accepts the relationship s over. It is almost a year and he is a young man who was 20 at the time”.
Imposing the suspended jail term, Judge Ivers said the defendant “came very close to prison” due to the previous offending also involving his former partner.
She said to McDonagh, “This has upset the complainant considerably and someone suggested on your behalf that they were police making enquiries which wasn’t the case. If you commit further offences you will return to this court where you could received up to six months in prison or the Crown Court which is up to five years. Consider yourself very fortunate”.
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