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Garda found guilty of harassing State solicitor is jailed
Summary
A detective sergeant of An Garda Siochana, Eve Doherty, aged 50, was found guilty by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of harassing State solicitor Elizabeth Howlin between September 2011 and March 2013. The harassment consisted of abusive letters and emails sent to Howlin's home, workplace and GP, calling her a "corrupt bitch", an "incompetent useless hobbit" and a "two‑faced bitch". Doherty also distributed leaflets around Howlin's housing estate, falsely claiming Howlin was a political appointee who would "pull" files to protect those connected to her or the government. She was found not guilty of two counts of making false statements in March 2012. Doherty was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. The judge noted that Doherty maintained her innocence, showed no remorse, and was considered at low risk of re‑offending. She had no prior convictions and was suspended from the force but remained a serving member.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Garda found guilty of harassing State solicitor is jailed. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- September 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-01-19 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Credit: Collins) A detective found guilty of harassing a State solicitor by sending her abusive letters has been jailed for three years. The court heard she loves dogs and has been involved in dog rescues in the past. "She has a good and productive life and she has done good and productive things," Mr O'Higgins said. "She has spread great kindness in her life to other people." Judge Greally rejected a defence submission to impose a suspended sentence, noting the lack of a guilty plea and the lack of any evident remorse.
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