Detective accessed ex’s phone records
A GARDA found guilty of harassing a State solicitor had previously been disciplined for accessing her boyfriend’s phone records.
Eve Doherty was transferred from Crime and Security, the agency responsible for national security, after she was caught accessing phone records in 2010. Her former boyfriend had become suspicious because she allegedly knew details of calls he had made after they had separated. Sgt Doherty was later disciplined and transferred to another post.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner was informed of the apparent data breach in June 2010. The case was also highlighted in a report prepared by High Court judge Iarfhlaith O’Neill.
The Director of Public Prosecutions decided that, following a Garda investigation, no charges should be brought in the case. At the time, the Department of Justice said the handling of the case was a matter for the gardaí.
This week, Sgt Doherty was convicted of harassing State solicitor Elizabeth Howlin.
Over a period of 18 months, letters and emails were sent to Ms Howlin’s home, her place of work and to her GP calling her a ‘corrupt bitch’, an ‘incompetent useless hobbit’ and a ‘two-faced bitch’.
Ms Howlin said she found the material very upsetting.