A woman waged a campaign of harassment against a former Sinn Féin TD by phoning and texting him over 5,500 times over a six-month period and sending him a picture of a rat when he complained about her to gardaí while publicly posting: “You don’t rat on a Republican.”
Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Sonya Egan (42), of The Lawn, Lios Cara, Killeens, Co Cork, sent thousands of emails to former Cork North Central Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien.
She also bombarded local community activist Laura O’Connell with messages, and posed as a barrister when she first met her. Egan donned robes and claimed she had come from family court when they made an arrangement to meet over coffee.
Sgt John Sheehy said that Egan carried out the campaign of abuse against Ms O’Connell and Mr O’Brien between 2018 and 2019.
Suggestive comments
Jonathan O’Brien first became aware of Sonia Egan in April/May 2017 where she approached him as a TD for advice. She then became a Sinn Féin member and in December 2018 she began sending him suggestive comments that made him uneasy.
Egan claimed that she had feelings for him that were beyond friendship. Mr O’Brien had no interest in a relationship of any type with the defendant.
Sgt Sheehy said Mr O’Brien then began receiving numerous messages and texts from Egan and emails from fake accounts.
“He began receiving emails from fake accounts one of which claimed to be Jeremy Corbyn leader of the British Labour Party claiming to be her [Egan’s] father.”
Egan then emailed the Sinn Féin party claiming that she was being bullied by Mr O’Brien. There was no truth to any of her allegations against Mr O’Brien and Ms O’Connell.
Sgt Sheehy said in the emails that Mr O’Brien had “betrayed her confidence” in relation to a disclosure she made to him.
“On a number of occasions she claimed that he had driven her to suicide and that she was going to carry it out. Whilst this was going on she would email him [O’Brien] to tell him that she loves him and that she would drop allegations against him if he gave in to his feelings for her.”
She publicly alleged on Facebook on a number of occasions that she had taken an overdose, and it was Jonathan O’Brien’s fault.
Sgt Sheehy said on one occasion Egan emailed Mr O’Brien and said that his terminally ill mother had fallen out of bed in hospital.
“Sonia became aware that his terminally ill mother had fallen out of the bed in hospital and claims that a friend in the hospital had told her. The hospital staff confirmed that his mother had fallen out of the bed but it has not been established yet how she got this information.”
Photos of deceased father
Sgt Sheehy said that Egan sent pictures of Mr O’Brien’s deceased father to him on multiple occasions. She went to the workplace of his daughter and also made a trip to the offices of Births, Deaths and Marriages to look up the date of Mr O’Brien’s father’s death.
Sgt Sheehy told Judge Helen Boyle that Egan, who is an unemployed married mother of three, carried out a significant and lengthy campaign of abuse against Mr O’Brien and Ms O’Connell.
“He [Mr O’Brien] believes that Sonia Egan has contacted him using over 20 different Facebook profiles. She sent [Mr O’Brien] 100 texts some days. She turned up at Leinster House demanding to speak to him.”
A disciplinary inquiry was carried out by the local branch of Sinn Féin and Egan gave an undertaking to stop contacting Mr O’Brien. Sgt Sheehy said that Egan failed to desist.
Egan pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment contrary to Section 10 (1) and (6) of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.
Fake barrister
Sgt Sheehy also told the court of the harassment campaign Egan waged against Laura O’Connell. Ms O’Connell made a formal complaint against Egan in October 2018.
She had met Egan when she was taking part in a local activist issue. Egan claimed she was a legal professional and on one occasion she met Ms O’Connell for coffee in a pub wearing barrister’s robes.
Ms O’Connell became apprehensive about Egan and attempted to distance herself from her. Sgt Sheehy said Egan then began “bombarding” Ms O’Connell with messages. She started posting messages on Facebook saying that Ms O’Connell was bullying her.
Egan claimed on Facebook that she was being defamed and harassed by Ms O’Connell. Egan then created numerous fake Facebook accounts in order to comment on the posts. Egan also emailed numerous people making false allegations against Ms O’Connell.
Mr O’Brien, who was not present in court, handed in a victim impact statement to the Judge which was not read out in court.
Fear of harassment
In her victim impact statement Ms O’Connell said that she was afraid to go outside her door arising out of the harassment.
“At 43 years of age I am a broken woman and on my knees because of Sonya Egan. I flinch with every outside noise, panic at the sound of a doorbell in fear it is her or those who follow her. I cannot go anywhere without having to assess who is following me or watching me, cannot open social media without dreading what will be posted about me today.”
Ms O’Connell said that she has incurred €26,000 in legal fees taking an injunction against Egan.
The particulars of the offences are that Egan harassed Jonathan O'Brien on various dates between January 17th, 2018 and January 9th, 2019 at locations within the State.
She also pleaded guilty to harassing Laura O'Connell on various dates between April 8th, 2018 and June 26th, 2019 at locations within the State.
Barrister for the defence, Anthony Sammon, SC, who was instructed by Eimer Griffin of Padraig O'Connell solicitors, said that his client was apologetic for her actions. Egan gave an undertaking to the court to not contact the injured parties prior to her next court appearance on June 27th.
Judge Helen Boyle remanded the accused on bail until her next court appearance. She warned Egan to get her affairs in order prior to her next court appearance.
