Fined for sending threatening emails to former partner and scaring her
The man sent emails to his former partner with images attached of the front of her house
A MAN who sent his former partner threatening emails containing photographs taken from outside her house and warning that she and her family were in danger has been fined €500 at Carlow District Court.
The court heard on 19 November that the Carlow woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received the emails from an unknown email address following the end of their relationship in March 2025, putting her in fear.
She made a statement to gardaí and following an investigation, it was established that the owner of the email account was her ex-partner who was subsequently arrested.
The 42-year-old man was charged with a breach of an order that had been obtained on 9 April this year. He has no previous convictions.
Defence barrister Nicholas Revilles told the court his client was a “normal citizen” with no criminal history.
In mitigation, Mr Revilles said this behaviour was “out of character” for his client, who claimed that “the woman was abusive to him”, “belittling and demeaning him in public” amongst other behaviour and claimed his client “had recourse to law” in this regard. He said the abusive behaviour had even led to him being estranged from his daughter.
“This is known as gaslighting in contemporary parlance,” he added.
The barrister said the defendant has since moved on in another relationship and has a busy life with his job and helping out elderly parents. “He is a productive member of society and assists them when he can,” he said.
Mr Revilles again stressed the threatening emails were “totally out of character”, adding that his client “will entirely probably live out the rest of his life without engaging in the criminal justice system again”.
“He would never have acted on those emails,” continued Mr Revilles, before declaring: “My client needs garda vetting (for his job) and I ask that section 1(1) of the Probation Act be applied.”
However, Judge Geraldine Carthy said to Mr Revilles: “You have a job to do but so do I,” adding that the offence was “quite stark"” and that she “can’t jump to the Probation Act 1(1)”.
“There is a plea of guilty and evidence of remorse but the aggravating matter is the nature of emails that Sergeant Carney outlined,” she explained.
Judge Carthy convicted and issued the man with a fine of €500 with 90 days to pay.
