A man who harassed a Fine Gael TD by sending her unsolicited sexual content online during the last general election campaign has been handed a fully suspended sentence.
Gerard Culhane - from Marian Place, Glin in Co Limerick - admitted harassing Jennifer Carroll MacNeill on various dates between January 13th 2020 and March 26th 2020.
At Gerard Culhane's sentence hearing, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill told the court she had to “question her personal safety for the first time” as a result of what he did.
It was in the run-up to the last general election that the harassment took place.
She went on to win a seat for Fine Gael in the Dún Laoghaire constituency; but described how she was afraid while on the campaign trail because she had to be out and about a lot, and often wondered whether the contact was a precursor to something else.
Over a three-month period Culhane sent her thirteen messages, including three sexually explicit videos.
The court heard he used a fake Facebook account to harass her.
In the end the 43-year-old, who is living with his parents in Limerick, admitted everything and said he was sorry.
He was handed a fully suspended one-year sentence and ordered to stay away from Ms Carroll MacNeill, both in-person and online.
