Former General Secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors Antoinette Cunningham has said that "blatantly false and vile" material posted about her online has had a profoundly negative impact on her and her family.
In a victim impact statement at Mullingar District Court today, Ms Cunningham said the messages, which were posted publicly and sent privately on the social media platform Twitter, now known as X, left her feeling helpless and powerless.
38-year-old Andrew McGovern, of School Lane, Rathowen, Co Westmeath previously pleaded guilty to harassing Ms Cunningham under Section 4 (1) and (3) of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.
Ms Cunningham, was general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) when the offences happened over a two-week period in March 2023.
Detective Sergeant Alan Farrell from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation told Mullingar District Court today that the first set of direct messages were sent privately and were ignored by Ms Cunningham.
He said Ms Cunningham later learned of posts on Mr McGovern's Twitter account about her that were openly accessible containing unfounded claims and allegations being "all swept under the carpet" and his life being ruined.
Detective Farrell said there was no truth in the content.
At sentencing today, Judge Bernadette Owens heard that while the probation report had been received, Mr McGovern's solicitor John Quinn requested more time to discuss to it with his client.
Judge Owens adjourned the case until 4 September for sentencing.
Victim Impact Statement
In a hard hitting victim impact statement, Antoinette Cunningham said the "lies, falsehoods and character destruction" posted online had a profoundly negative effect on her and her family.
"The emotional impact of this crime on me was difficult, I still don't understand why a stranger decided to target me in this way" she said.
"I felt a total violation of my privacy, my character, my integrity, and my sense of personal well-being and peace of mind was fractured as a result of what happened."
Ms Cunningham outlined that she became aware of the allegations posted on a social media platform in March 2023.
She said she tried to have the material removed but was advised by the social media platform that the material did not, in their view, 'violate their rules'."
Ms Cunningham said "this added enormously to the upset and vulnerability" she felt.
"I felt helpless to defend myself or to receive the expected support from the social media platform, there was a personal vilification of me going on, and I was powerless, at that point, to do anything about it."
Ms Cunningham told the court that at the time of the incident, she held the position of general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, a job which carries a significant public profile and role.
She spoke of how difficult it was, in such a busy and demanding job, "to present a façade of normality at work while at the same time trying to deal with this matter".
Ms Cunningham said until today, she has remained a relatively voiceless victim of this crime, to fully respect the investigation and judicial process and she hopes by speaking out, she can encourage others to come forward.
"Online harassment can happen to anyone, in any walk of life and this case, sadly, is a demonstration of the very toxic side of social media, that came into my everyday life and turned, what was a normal evening at home, into a process that is only ending now."
The former AGSI General Secretary criticised the social media platform X saying she finds it "deeply upsetting that something that is a criminal offence in this country is not accepted as a breach of social media rules here".
"I have chosen now, to speak to the court about this matter, to convey my sense of frustration at having to publicly expose myself again as I feel I have no other real choice," Ms Cunningham added.
"To stay silent, I would be doing a disservice to myself but especially to my family and allowing behaviour like this to go unchallenged."
"I genuinely feel it is my civic duty to speak up and voice how this has affected me, so that others may feel empowered to address similar situations and take action for their own safety and wellbeing" she said.
Ms Cunningham also paid tribute to the gardaí involved in the investigation.
