Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Harassment accused has bail bid rejected
A MAN accused of sending sexually explicit images of his ex-partner to her teenage son via Facebook was refused bail yesterday.
The Co Down defendant, whose cannot be named to ensure the anonymity of his the woman, is due to stand trial on charges of harassing the woman, and of disclosing private sexual photographs on two separate occasions.
He has denied all the charges and will be tried at Downpatrick Crown Court in September.
The accused applied for bail on the grounds that he wants to spend time with his terminally ill father.
Objecting on grounds – including a fear he will interfere with witnesses, namely his ex and her son – prosecutor James Johnston told Judge Sandra Crawford the accused has an extensive criminal record and a history of non-complicance with court orders.
When Judge Crawford asked Mr Johnston to provide a background to the allegations levelled against the defendant, the barrister said over a period of days last July he send his ex-partner texts and calls on her work and home phones which the Crown said amounted to harrassment.
Mr Johnston said the other two charges faced by the defendant were linked to sexually explicit images he had of the woman on his phone, and “when she didn’t respond to his phonecalls and texts, he sent these images to two people”.
The court heard the recipients were the woman’s teenage son and another man who was sent the images and told by the defendant “she is mine, not yours”.
Mr Johnston said the proposed bail address was in close proximity to where the ex-partner and her son live. Telling the court the relationship between the defendant and the woman was “on and off ”, he also revealed that the current status between them was “unknown”.
The Crown barrister said: “There may be questions about their willingness to come to court. Even if they don’t attend, the police have significant mobile phone and other evidence to continue with a prosecution.”
After listening to both the Crown and defence, Judge Crawford said while the court has sympathy for the situation regarding the defendant’s father, she must consider “the risks as outlined by the prosecution.”
She refused the application and the man was remanded in custody ahead of his trial in September.
CROWN COURT YESTERDAY