‘Keeps ignoring court orders’
A judge has told a man convicted of harassing a woman in West Sligo if he returns to Easkey he will be imprisoned.
Evan Clarke (55) formerly of Main St, Easkey and now at Shalamar Hostel, Finisklin, appeared before Sligo Circuit Court after the matter was re-entered last November and he failed to appear in court. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued and executed earlier this month.
Clarke was sentenced to a three-year suspended prison sentence and ordered to carry out 240 hours of community service when he was convicted in June 2018 for three counts of harassment.
Garda Mary Tighe told the court the matter was first re-entered in December 2018 when he caused alarm to another woman in Easkey.
The matter was again re-entered in May last year after he alarmed a woman on two occasions.
Asked by State prosecutor, Mr Leo Mulrooney, if Clarke had been observed in Easkey since, Garda Tighe said not since April 10 th, 2019, according to her knowledge.
Asked if he had any contact with the woman since, the garda said he had not. She added that there was no concern by gardaí since his change of address to Sligo town.
Mr Joe Barnes, BL, said his client has an acquired brain injury. Mr Barnes reminded his client he had been given a chance by the court previously, providing he does not return to Easkey.
“The court orders are there, you can’t just ignore them,” said Judge Francis Comerford.
Judge Comerford told Mr Barnes if Clarke returns to Easkey he will have no choice but to enforce the suspended prison sentence.
Clarke, formerly with an address of Main Street, Easkey, appeared before Judge Francis Comerford at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court last Wednesday.
The court was told Clarke had completed 240 community service which was in lieu of a threeyear prison sentence handed down in July 2018 for harassing a woman in Easkey.
He was convicted of harassing the woman on dates in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Last week’s court heard the matter had to be re entered last May as Clarke was detected in Easkey on two occasions and a lady had reported a pattern of behaviour similar to that of the offence Clarke had been previously convicted for.
An earlier court heard no criminal prosecution was to arise out of the matter but Clarke had left correspondence for the woman in the local church.
Clarke had since moved to Sligo and was in shared accommodation while awaiting accommodation on the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme.
A previous court was told Clarke was found in his former home on 10 th April last and admitted to gardaí that he had also been there four days previously.
His defence barrister Mr Joe Barnes BL, instructed by Mr Eddie Henry solicitor, told Judge Comerford at that previous court that his client was collecting belongings and said his client did have an acquired brain injury.
“I keep threatening jail. He’s just ignoring court orders, what do I do,” asked the Judge.
He adjourned the matter until November and said if there was evidence that Clarke was found in Easkey again he would have no option but to activate part of the three year suspended sentence.