A serial stalker previously described as ‘an ongoing risk to young women’ has appeared in court in Enniskillen after again targeting a teenage girl.
Tiernan McKenna (39), from Lambfield Drive, Dungannon, is charged with stalking to cause fear, alarm or substantial distress and harassment.
The offending allegedly occurred between August 1, 2025 to February 27 this year.
A detective constable told Enniskillen Magistrates Court the charges could be connected.
He explained the owner of a Dungannon shop contacted police to report McKenna was acting suspiciously having ‘taken an interest’ in a teenage staff member.
This involved him coming to the shop every day and constantly trying to talk to her and asking personal questions.
It transpired that McKenna had tried to add her to his Facebook account and left a QR code sticker outside the shop which linked straight to his page.
CCTV footage was viewed and officers immediately recognised McKenna.
The teenager provided a statement detailing how he would approach her and engage in conversation, staring into her eyes which she found ‘creepy’.
A short time later she received a Facebook request which she recognised as McKenna. From October 2025 he had been coming into the shop every day, always asking to speak to her calling her by her first name which she had never told him.
On January 8, he approached her from behind while she was working, causing her to run behind the till area in fear.
McKenna said he knew what school she went to and enquired about a training course she was on which concerned her as she couldn’t understand how he would have known this.
Matters came to a head on February 26 when he entered the shop and the manager told the teenager to go into the storeroom.
Shortly afterwards the shop received a text to the landline stating, “If you want to meet, go to the QR code on the box outside.”
This was followed by another message which said, “Stop listening to lies from people who have it in for me.”
Staff checked the front of the shop and located the sticker, which again when scanned went straight to McKenna’s Facebook account.
He was arrested and during interview initially denied the allegations claiming he knew the teenager and sent her one Facebook request in December 2025.
While accepting being in the shop regularly, McKenna stated he was barred from a number of others which were closer to his home.
However, when the content of the teenager’s statement was put to him, he admitted stalking and harassment.
He also accepted pitting the QR code sticker at the front of the shop and sending her several Facebook request from different profile over the course of several months and
Objecting to bail, the detective said, “The injured party is petrified and afraid to go to work. The defendant has seven previous relevant convictions and is currently subject to a suspended sentence.
“He clearly has little-to-no regard for court-imposed conditions. Police believe there are no conditions which could manage his behaviour and safeguard young girls who are vulnerable by age.
“His obsessive and compulsive behaviour has remained unchanged and is in fact escalating. He uses Facebook to reach out to young girls, finding out personal information and continuously sending messages.
“He unfazed when these are ignored and continually displays unwanted and fixated behaviour.”
He concluded: “Remanding in custody is the only measure to curtail his menacing behaviour towards girls.”
A defence barrister suggested McKenna ‘may lack insight’ and contended bail could be granted with strict conditions.
However, District Judge Alana McSorley refused stating: “This is a very young, vulnerable female and I consider the risks cannot be managed.”
McKenna will appear again by video-link at Dungannon Magistrates Court on March 18.
