Woman wants court to stop frightening online messages from male ‘stalker’

A woman has claimed before the High Court she fears for her safety due to upsetting and extremely frightening online messages sent to her by a male "stalker".

The woman said in an affidavit the communications, in the form of e-mails and messages via social media platforms, are unwanted and commenced when she and the man were at the same third level college almost a decade ago.

She said she only ever had one personal interaction with the man during the college years.

She said she never encouraged the communications and made clear to the man she never desired them but they continued for several years and had intensified in recent weeks.

Despite not wanting anything to do with him, the man had said in messages he had “very strong feelings” about her, felt “entitled to further contact with her”, wanted a relationship with her and “loved” her.

In one early email after she blocked him on Facebook, he had told her he had a "horrible feeling" this is going to end up with him "dead or in prison or something", she said.

In several recent emails, the man accused her of being a “monster”, ignoring his feelings, dismissing his trauma and falsifying a police report about him.

He also told her to “find a cactus and go f**k yourself”, she said.

The court heard the woman believes the man may have mental health issues, and may be on medication.

The woman, along with the defendant, cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Sleep difficulties

She wants various High Court orders including an injunction preventing the man intimidating, harassing, watching, besetting and communicating with her.

Her lawyers previously secured permission from Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds to serve short notice of the proceedings on the defendant.

The judge also directed that the Garda and members of the defendant’s family be made aware of the proceedings.

The woman said the only interaction she ever had with the man was almost a decade ago in the same college when they were both members of a small group that did a class presentation together.

That was her only interaction in person and, after receiving messages from the man, she asked him to leave her alone, she said.

Despite initially indicating he had no intention of messaging her again, he did contact her on other occasions, causing her anxiety and sleep difficulties, she said.

After graduating, she continued to get “unsettling” messages from bogus accounts which she believes were set up by the defendant.

In recent weeks, she has received very upsetting and peculiar contact online which was alarming and upsetting and caused her to fear for her personal safety.

Over the years she had made complaints to bodies including the Garda and the authorities at the college that she had attended.

On Tuesday, the judge was told there had been difficulty in serving the man with the proceedings but the man was due to meet a solicitor in relation to the case who might represent him.

The judge has adjourned the matter for a week.