VIDEO NASTY
Neighbours secretly filmed by 16 cameras in land row
THIS is the pesky pensioner who secretly filmed his neighbours and retained a video of one of them engaged in a “sex act”.
Thomas Kelly, 66, led a campaign of intimidation and was found guilty yesterday of four charges of harassment.
He installed 16 cameras on his land in Lucan, Co Dublin, and was monitoring those living beside him – one device was covered in military grade camouflage netting.
Victim Paul Lynam, who lives in Weirview Cottages, said: “I haven’t opened my doors and I kept my curtain closed – it is from the paranoia of being watched.”
The court was told a Garda search found multiple CCTV camera feeds broadcasting live to a 60-inch TV.
A MAN who led a campaign against his neighbours including video taping one engaged in a “sex act” in a private back garden has been found guilty of harassment.
Judge David Mchugh described Thomas Kelly’s crusade of intimidation arising from a land dispute as “intentionally obsessive and bordering on the paranoid”.
Blanchardstown District Court heard he erected 16 cameras on “his” land and was monitoring his neighbours. One device was covered in military grade camouflage netting.
The 66-year-old of Weirview in Lucan, Co Dublin, was charged with four counts of harassment of three neighbours.
Two charges relate to a neighbour, Paul Lynam, from dates between July 1 and July 15, 2016.
The other two are related to John Mooney and Willie Stapleton on dates between February 1 and February 12, 2016.
He pleaded not guilty to all counts and a trial was heard at the district court yesterday.
COTTAGES
The case is centred around a number of properties at terraced cottages at Weirview overlooking the Liffey.
Kelly claims he bought a package of land behind the houses and has been in a dispute with the three men because of this.
The court heard the ownership of this “escarpment” is in dispute but that the accused has performed extensive ground works on the site.
The court heard Mr Lynam, who lives in one of the terraced properties, told the court he had a “funny feeling” he was “being watched” as the Kelly family had a lot of CCTV cameras on the nearby property.
He said he walked up the escarpment and found two covered in camouflage hidden in undergrowth.
The cameras were pointing and focused on his house and two other properties – those owned by Mr Stapleton and Mr Mooney.
Mr Lynam told the court he phoned his neighbours and they decided to go down to their local Garda station to make a criminal complaint.
He said the camera was at an elevated height and was looking down on his home and decking.
Mr Lynam added: “I haven’t opened my doors and I kept my curtain closed – it is from the paranoia of being watched.” He said he counted 15 cameras, some with night vision and another was placed in clear sight on a fence.
Defence barrister Kitty Perle, in cross examination, said during a cautioned Garda interview with Mr Lynam investigators told him there was footage on the cameras that showed him engaged in a solo sex act on his decking to the rear of his property. The barrister added in the
memo of interview it was said: “There is some footage of you in semi-dress, performing an act of masturbation.”
Mr Lynam responded to the question: “I am totally shocked. It is an invasion of privacy”.
Ms Perle said her client had placed the cameras to assist him in a civil action against the residents.
She added: “It was a measure to prevent criminal activity.”
In response to further questions Mr Lynam added: “It is my garden, whatever I do is in my garden and is my business.
“They [the Kelly family] always had the view they owned the property – that it was their kingdom.”
Mr Mooney said he was “subject to stalking” by the Kelly family.
He added on several occasions he had been followed to his door after parking his car and he knew “people were watching me”.
Mr Mooney said once Mr Lynam told him of his discovery they went to Lucan Garda station where he asked to speak to a detective. He added: “This has been going on for a long period of time and living there is a nightmare.
“I would certainly feel harassed – I can’t let my young daughter open the blinds of the house in case we are filmed.”
Mr Mooney said the camera was directed at his bedroom and he was “worried out of my mind” about it.
The third victim, Mr Stapleton, told the court he was concerned his stepdaughter was being filmed “coming in
and out of the shower”. He said he was feeling “horrendous” and “very upset”.
Retired Detective Inspector Richard Mcdonald added he became involved in the case because there were not enough lower ranked gardai stationed in Lucan.
Having taken statements from the three men he believed an offence had been committed and went to court for a warrant.
He told the court that when he and other gardai searched the Kelly property he found a giant 60-inch television screen in the living room with multiple CCTV camera feeds broadcasting live. He said he found a camera was focused on the three houses of the victims – it was set at a zoom.
Gardai seized hard drives and USB devices that contained clips recorded from the CCTV.
Kelly told the court that he disputed the evidence and said he erected the cameras for security reasons.
He said there was a group of people in the area that had made complaints against him. Kelly added he had seen Mr Lynam engaging in sex acts from the land above the house and had gone to the Garda station in Lucan to complain.
He said he wasn’t happy with the response so he then made a complaint to Tusla about his neighbour.
He claimed that his grandchildren would be exposed to Mr Lynam’s activities. Kelly also wrote to the then Justice Minister. He denied he was engaged in harassment of his neighbours.
Judge Mchugh convicted Kelly on all counts and said the situation was caused by “a land dispute of the worse type and kind”.
He said: “I am satisfied that this was intentionally obsessive and was bordering on the paranoid and interferes with the rights of other people.’
He adjourned the case until September 27 so victim impact statements could be prepared.
I can’t let my daughter open the blinds in case we’re filmed JOHN MOONEY IN COURT TESTIMONY