A 40-yr-old woman has appeared before a court accused of issuing threats to Tánaiste Simon Harris and members of his family, reports RTE.
Sandra Barry, residing at Tor an Rí, Balgaddy, Lucan in Co Dublin, stood before Dublin District Court after an inquiry carried out by the Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU), reports RTE..
She faces an allegation that on 30 August, at her residence, she sent “a threatening or grossly offensive communication to Simon Harris with intent to cause harm”.
The charge is brought under section 4(1) and (3) of the 2020 Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act, reports RTE.
Mr Harris was excused from attending the proceedings.
Detective Garda Richard Markey informed Judge Michèle Finan that Ms Barry had been arrested on foot of a warrant and charged at Store Street Garda station at 9.03am earlier today, reports RTE.
The court was told she made no response upon being charged and received a copy of the charge documentation.
The Director of Public Prosecutions advised that the matter should be dealt with summarily in the District Court rather than the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing options, reports RTE.
Presenting the facts for a jurisdiction decision, Detective Garda Markey said: “It is alleged that the accused sent a number of threatening messages to the injured party in this case.”
The detective stated that the woman had been identified through social media platforms, reports RTE.
When asked for clarification, he said the messages were threatening in tone toward the injured party, implying harm toward him or his relatives.
He added that while the threats were not explicit, they carried a clear implied menace, reports RTE.
“Such as?” asked Judge Finan,
“Such as, something along the lines of, ‘wouldn’t it be terrible if something had happened to your family, like what happened in an incident involving a minor who was attacked’,” reports RTE.
The court was advised that two messages were seen, although metadata indicated as many as six, all sent over the course of one evening.
Judge Finan accepted that the case could remain in the District Court and directed Ms Barry, who has not yet indicated a plea, to return on 18 December, reports RTE.
She acknowledged that there was no objection to bail without lodgement, subject to the conditions requested by the detective.
Defence solicitor Tracy Horan told Judge Finan that the defence agreed to those conditions, reports RTE.
She directed Ms Barry, who did not speak during the hearing, to sign on weekly at her local garda station and to avoid all direct or indirect contact, including online, with the injured party.
Judge Finan cautioned her that violating these terms could result in her bail being revoked and her being held in custody, reports RTE.
Legal aid was approved after Ms Horan provided details of Ms Barry’s financial situation, noting that her client worked for minimum wage as an equine hand.
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