Courts / Limerick / Report
Harasser who claimed he was jailed for 'mistakenly sending romantic letters to the wrong girl' fails in appeal
Summary
Eoin Hannan, aged 50, was convicted in April 2022 of harassing a woman at various locations between February 14 and August 25 2020, and in July 2022 of harassing her father between January 20 and February 13 2021. The court heard that Hannan repeatedly contacted the victim despite Garda warnings in 2017 and 2019, sending Valentine cards, wine, chocolates, a watch, a bracelet, a teddy bear, a lollipop and a letter with a threatening phrase. He claimed the offences were "romantic rather than sinister" and a case of mistaken identity. Hannan, who has 44 prior convictions, argued that his bipolar affective disorder should have mitigated the sentence. Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe found no error in the sentencing judge's approach, noted that the judge had considered Hannan's mental health, and dismissed all grounds of appeal. The appeal was rejected, leaving the four‑year prison sentence in place. Eoin Hannan pleaded guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Harasser who claimed he was jailed for 'mistakenly sending romantic letters to the wrong girl' fails in appeal. Charges or matters: a separate charge of harassing her father on dates between January 20 and February 13, 2021. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- April 2022 Other
- February 14 Hearing Or Sentence
- August 25, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 20 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 13, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-07-30 Publication
Why: The woman was upset because she was worried Hannan would visit the house. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: a separate charge of harassing her father on dates between January 20 and February 13, 2021 (Proven)
Plea: Guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Hannan went on to reference recent sexual assault cases in which the sentence imposed was similar or less than his own. "I'm saying like for like, they got lesser sentences than I did," he claimed. Hannan said his conviction was for a non-violent offence, which was "romantic rather than sinister" and "based on a case of mistaken identity". "Again I'd say I don't believe the gardaí should have been involved in the early stages because it was not a criminal matter to send a letter to a girl," he said. "For the reasons outlined, I would beg you to commute or suspend the rest of my sentence." Eoin Lawlor BL, for the State, suggested to the court that the jail terms imposed were balanced sentences that gave "a great deal of consideration" to the effect the offences had on the victim and to Ha
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- Central Mental Hospital
Topics
Related court reports
- Manager at global IT firm denies company 'lied' about position of former Irish employee
- High Court refuses to surrender Limerick man wanted for alleged human trafficking in Greece
- Tipperary man admits attempted murder
- Volunteer who said he was sacked for warning Church officials of 'rogue' relic traders can't pursue case, WRC rules
- Appearance of tips machine in cafe that pulled in €5k unexplained, tribunal notes
- 'You've to get the morning after pill': man who was 18 when he raped girl (15) gets seven years
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request