A former couple who waged a “campaign of intimidation and harassment” against their dentist have been given fully suspended four-year jail sentences.
Parents of one, Michael De Sousa, (36), and Emma Maun, (28), who share an address at Sheehan’s Flats, Askeaton, Co Limerick, had faced a maximum 10 years in prison.
The harassment started after the dentist referred Maun to a specialist maxillofacial clinic because she required more complex treatment than the dentist could provide.
Maun was unhappy about having to go to another clinic and started sending the dentist “unnerving” private messages on social media.
These included “a rant” about the dentist, which made her feel “uneasy”, prosecuting counsel, John O’Sullivan BL told Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
For several months, Maun and De Sousa harassed the dentist going her to her workplace and staring at her, which the dentist found “alarming,” said Mr O’Sullivan.
'Extremely vulgar' Valentine's card
Mr O’Sullivan said De Sousa admitted to gardaí that he sent the dentist an “extremely vulgar” card on Valentine's Day 2022, which had “left (the dentist) fearful and disgusted, and it accentuated her anxiety”.
Mr O’Sullivan said that, during the pair’s “campaign of intimidation and harassment”, Maun had followed the dentist from her workplace along her route home, on a date in March 2002.
In another worrying episode, Maun drove De Sousa to the dentist’s home at 4.30am where De Sousa smeared “creamy liquid” over the dentist’s car which “turned out to be pancake mix, and a wing mirror on the car was damaged”.
Mr O’Sullivan said the dentist told gardaí she was “afraid” and had “no peace of mind because of the stalking of Michael De Sousa and Emma Maun”.
The dentist told gardaí there was “no rationale” behind Maun and De Sousa’s “bizarre fixation with me and I don’t know why”.
After the dentist made a formal complaint to gardaí, De Sousa visited two Garda stations and made completely false accusations about the dentist of a sexual nature.
Maun told gardaí she had made a complaint about the dentist to the Irish Dental Association, but this was also found to be false.
CCTV clips
Gardaí compiled 54 individual CCTV video clips which placed Maun and De Sousa outside the dentist’s workplace and home.
After getting a warrant to search the couple’s home, gardaí found a mobile phone belonging to De Sousa containing location details for the dentist’s home.
Gardaí also found evidence relevant to social media exchanges that supported the State’s case.
Maun and De Sousa had pleaded not guilty to one count of harassment of the dentist, on dates between January and March and January and December respectively, but they were both found guilty by a jury on July 4th following a four-week trial.
De Sousa pleaded guilty to making false statements to gardaí of a sexual nature about the dentist, and to causing criminal damage to the dentist’s car.
Mr O’Sullivan said Maun was “directly involved” in harassing the dentist, and told the court that, much like De Sousa, “she also felt entitled to do these things” and lacked remorse.
The prosecution barrister added that Maun, who has a diploma in psychological counselling, could not be held accountable for the false statements made by De Sousa, or the vulgar card De Sousa sent to the dentist.
Maun, represented by junior counsel Amy Nix BL, and De Sousa, acted for by Liam Carroll BL, issued apologies to the dentist, but they do not accept the jury’s verdict.
Maun and De Sousa claimed they had been abused by relatives when they were children.
Maun told the probation services she had found it hard to fit in and had a complex about her teeth.
De Sousa, who is diagnosed on the autism spectrum, and deemed to be susceptible to peer pressure and is regarded as self-serving, has two other children from another relationship, and has faced struggled with his sexuality and is currently identifying as a gay man, the court heard.
Letter
Maun wrote a letter pleading with the sentencing Judge, Dermot Sheehan, not to jail her, saying she needed to be with her young daughter who she said has health difficulties.
At an earlier sentencing hearing, the dentist broke down in court describing how she “feared” for her life during Maun and De Sousa’s campaign of harassment.
“I would watch cars, check registration plates, it became disruptive and exhaustive. I did not feel safe going outside,” the dentist said.
“I did not invite this vile behaviour into my life, I did not deserve this - nobody does. I worry what they (Maun and De Sousa) might do next,” she said.
The dentist said the card she received from De Sousa made her “skin crawl”, and seeing Maun and De Sousa “laughing” during their trial “was sickening”.
Judge Sheehan noted that the dentist “remains in fear and her work has suffered”.
He said a major consideration in his sentencing was that he would be breaking up the defendant’s family if he imposed an immediate custodial sentence on maun and De Sousa.
The judge ordered that Maun and De Sousa keep the peace and not reoffend for a period of four years, and that they not make any contact with the dentist for a period of fifteen years or come within 200 metres of the dentist’s home or workplace.
He also ordered that De Sousa’s engage with the probation services in respect of receiving help for mental health and anger management issues.
