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Jail term upheld for shut-in who waged campaign of harassment against female writers
Summary
Brendan Doolin, 37, was found guilty of sending hundreds of abusive emails to six female writers and journalists between May 2012 and February 2018. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on the condition that he never contact any of the complainants again. The Court of Appeal upheld the sentence, rejecting the appeal that argued the judge had over‑penalised Doolin and failed to consider mitigating factors such as his guilty plea, lack of prior convictions and psychiatric report indicating he was not a threat. The appeal was dismissed after the court considered the seriousness of the harassment, the number of victims and the impact on the women, who were all female journalists or media figures. The decision was announced by Justice Isobel Kennedy in a virtual hearing attended by Doolin and the victims.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail term upheld for shut-in who waged campaign of harassment against female writers. Charges or matters: harassing Sarah Griffin, Kate McEvoy, Sinead O'Carroll, Christine Bohan, Roe McDermott and Aoife Barry on dates between May 2012 and February 2018. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- May 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-07-21 Publication
Why: Doolin first messaged news editor, Aoife Barry, in response to an article she wrote about male suicide in which he said "I will probably kill myself in the next few years, probably won't do it now because I am a big chicken". CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: harassing Sarah Griffin, Kate McEvoy, Sinead O'Carroll, Christine Bohan, Roe McDermott and Aoife Barry on dates between May 2012 and February 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He sentenced him to five years in prison, but suspended the final two years on strict condition that he not contact any of the complainants for the rest of his life. The fact that there were six victims was an aggravating factor, and the judge could have imposed consecutive sentences, she said.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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