A 41-year-old former Garda has pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two charges of harassing his ex-girlfriend by phone. The court heard that Austin Woods From Hackbills Cross, County Louth, but with an address in Mephin Road, Dublin made over 2,000 calls over a nine month period to 27-year-old Colette Johnson. Mr Woods was a Garda, serving in Finglas, at the time.
The couple met in 1997 at the pub Ms Johnson owned at Granard, County Longford. Their relationship lasted over six months. When it ended, the phone calls began. The court heard that Mr Woods made up to 400 calls in one day, some of them silent.
He was charged at the District Court in February 2000 with harassment and was released on bail conditions that he did not contact Ms Johnson. Mr Woods broke the bail conditions and was then placed under electronic monitoring.
In her evidence, read out in court today, Ms Johnson said that Mr Woods had threatened to burn her pub down. In addition to the phone calls she had received in the post a packet of sanitary towels and a package containing human excrement. She believes that they were sent to her by Mr Woods.
Defence council, Deirdre Murphy, asked the court for leniency, citing a psychiatric report that said that her client would benefit from counselling. Sentencing will take place on Friday.
