A man from East Clare, identified as 48-year-old Sean Kilkenny from Tuamgraney, Scarriff, has been accused of using Facebook to send purported “harassment messages” to TD Cathal Crowe, a representative of the Fianna Fail. In the Killaloe District Court situated in Ennis, Kilkenny has indicated on Tuesday that he will cease all future communication and interaction with Crowe. He substantiated to Judge Alec Gabbett that there has been no contact between him and the TD from Clare since the previous July.
This commitment came after Kilkenny’s lawyer, Daragh Hassett, suggested it to the gardaí early this year. In a court session in March, Hassett informed that the matter could be settled without the necessity for a full trial, stating that there had been a “meeting of minds” as the gardaí communicated with the plaintiff.
Subsequent to Kilkenny’s personal vow to “cease and desist” in court, Judge Gabbett queried if his solicitor, Shiofra Hassett, was certain that her client comprehended the terms of the undertaking. To which, she affirmed positively.
When Kilkenny pledged to cease contact, Judge Gabbett queried if the case could be dismissed on this ground. However, Sgt John Burke suggested continued supervision of the case and proposed a one-year adjournment.
Kilkenny faces charges of sending messages intended to cause alarm, hassle, or unnecessary worry to Crowe between May 4 and June 26, 2023. The accusation is a violation of the Post Office Amendment Act 1951, modified by section 4 of the Communication Regulations (Amendment) Act.
The case started in July when Kilkenny first appeared in court for this charge. It was reported that the case focused on the claim of online harassment on Facebook. As part of Kilkenny’s bail conditions, he is prohibited from interacting with the complainant, Crowe.
The stipulations necessitated that Mr Kilkenny stay in Tuamgraney, Scarriff and conduct himself appropriately. Furthermore, he was accused of hampering Garda Joe Kearney’s lawful action, which was authorised by a warrant issued according to Section 10 of the Criminal Justice Act on 3rd July, in Tuamgraney, Scarriff. Judge Gabbett postponed the hearing until 6th May of the forthcoming year.