Sean Carraher convicted of harassing Garda sergeant

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Sean Carraher was convicted of harassment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after nearly six hours of jury deliberations. The proceedings were reported on 14 July 2016.

He had pleaded not guilty to harassing Sergeant Conor Gilmartin between March 2009 and May 2011. The report said Carraher was found guilty of posting about 50 messages on the websites Rate-Your-Solicitor and Victims of the Legal Profession, and also made harassing phone calls to the sergeant. The messages alleged, among other things, that the sergeant had withheld evidence in an earlier case involving Carraher.

During the trial, Carraher said his posts were intended to expose Garda corruption and were protected by his right to freedom of expression. The trial heard that no findings of wrongdoing had been made against Sergeant Gilmartin.

Judge Patrick McCartan remanded Carraher in custody after the verdict despite the prosecution stating that it had no objection to bail provided Carraher refrained from posting about the case online. The judge said it was his practice always to remand a person in custody after conviction.

Sentencing was scheduled for 27 July, when the court was also due to hear a victim impact report from Sergeant Gilmartin.