A DERRYGONNELLY man who stalked his ex-wife by placing a tracker on her car and following her around has avoided prison.
Brendan Gallagher (55) of Drumadown Road appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court for sentencing today (Wednesday) on one count of stalking. The charge related to a campaign of intimidation and harassment over numerous dates between March and September last year.
A long list of incidents in which Gallagher showed up at various locations where the victim was shopping or going about her business were read out to the court. These included one incident when she realised he was watching her on the beach in Bundoran, and another where he made a threatening gesture to her outside the gates of a school.
The court heard the woman later found what she believed to be a tracker on her car, which was confirmed to be an Apple airTag, which he had been using to follow her movements.
District Judge Alana McSorley noted Gallagher’s actions were in breach of non-molestation orders that had been put in place to stop him intimidating or harassing the woman. She noted there had been a “high degree of planning” in Gallagher’s actions and stated it was “sinister” in nature.
Judge McSorely, referring to the victim impact statement, noted the victim’s life had been changed by Gallagher’s actions.
As such, Judge McSorley said the custody threshold had been crossed. She added, however, that Gallagher had no previous convictions – just a previous caution for common assault on the same victim – and had work and parental responsibilities. For those reasons she said she was suspending the sentence.
Gallagher was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years, and a restraining order was granted preventing him from contacting the woman.
For more on this story see next week’s Fermanagh Herald.
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