A 24-year-old man who stalked a well-known social media influencer by following her into her hotel in the early hours of the morning has been given a six-month suspended sentence.
Denis Morris, from Braemor Road, Churchtown in Dublin, pleaded guilty to stalking the woman by following her into the Iveagh Gardens hotel on Harcourt Street on 21 March last year.
The Dublin District Court was shown CCTV footage of the woman saying goodbye to friends after a night out in Coppers nightclub in Dublin before being stalked by Denis Morris.
He first followed into her hotel, then got into the lift behind her and took out a belt.
When she arrived at her floor he followed her down the corridor to her hotel bedroom before walking in front of her.
Her mother was in the hotel room and answered the door when she knocked on it.
She believes this is why Morris left.
Watch: Footage filmed by victim showing Denis Morris behind her in hotel lift
The woman told the court at an earlier hearing that her mother, who was in the hotel room, was "just as scared that night".
She later reported the incident to gardaí.
Detective Garda Eamon Leen of the Garda Protective Services Unit said Morris was tracked down through CCTV and through a taxi app he used after he left the hotel through the fire escape.
Garda Leen said Morris was arrested and gave an incomplete account of what happened that night saying at first that he was looking for his girlfriend, but later said he could not remember exactly what happened.
The woman broke down in the witness box as she described the fear she felt on the night as she realised the man had followed her into the hotel lift.
She said she began filming on her phone, "not knowing what his intentions were, but just to get footage so my family would know what had happened".
She said her job involved meeting new people and until that night she was proud of where she had got her confidence to, but that "all changed in a single night and has affected me ever since".
She added: "It changed how I feel about safety, people and myself."
She said she and her friends had done everything to make sure they were safe that night "but I was followed to my bedroom door".
Defence counsel for Morris said he had prepared a letter of apology to the woman. The court heard he had told gardaí he had been drinking heavily on the night and has since been dealing with his issues around alcohol and was now sober.
He had lost his full time job because of the incident, which was described by his barrister as "opportunistic" because he had not been stalking her before that night.
His defence counsel Fiona Pekaar described his actions as "reprehensible and extremely stupid". "He gave unwanted attention to a woman and he is not shying away from it," Ms Pekaar said.
Judge Treasa Kelly said today it was a serious offence but that the main problem identified in the probation report was Denis Morris' addiction to alcohol.
She said the 24-year-old does not appear to remember much but had pleaded guilty and taken responsibility for what he had done.
The judge also said the victim did nothing wrong, was very sober on the night and took appropriate actions entirely with her own safety in mind.
She sentenced Denis Morris to six months in prison suspended for twelve months on condition that he continue his treatment for alcohol addiction.
He also offered to pay €2,000 to the victim which she refused to accept but nominated that it be donated to the Cuan Saor which helps victims of domestic and sexual violence.
