A Dublin man sent a barrister a series of sexual and threatening messages and a voicemail saying he fantasised about killing her and her children, a court has heard.
Eoghan Peavoy, 51, of Brackenwood Avenue, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, is charged with harassment of the woman from January 8th, 2019, until August 23rd, 2022.
The offence is under Section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. He is on bail with strict conditions.
The case resumed at Dublin District Court following adjournments to allow the defence to obtain a psychological assessment of the accused. His solicitor had also said the accused wished to indicate a guilty plea.
After an outline of the allegations, however, Judge Michele Finan held the case was too serious for the District Court and should go to the Circuit Court, with broader sentencing powers.
Garda Dave Chapman told Judge Finan the background was that the injured party's sister was in college in the early 1990s with the defendant. Her sister moved to the UK.
The court heard Mr Peavoy contacted the injured party from 2005 until 2009 and then stopped for a significant period, "and began again in February 2019 when it is alleged the defendant sent a text to the injured party and informed her he had delivered a package to her address at the Law Library".
"Contact increased in volume to her and her colleagues at the Law Library," Garda Chapman said. The court heard that there were text and WhatsApp messages which "began to become sexual in nature", but they were not read out in court.
They also became threatening, and 50 emails were sent to her over two weeks in March 2021.
The lawyer, who was not named in open court, received Garda advice to send him a single reply requesting he stops.
Garda Chapman said this was followed by 70 more messages from him which were "sexual in nature" and became more aggressive.
The court heard he left her six voicemail messages in April 2021, which also became aggressive, and in one, he stated he "fantasises about killing you and all your children".
Judge Finan heard the injured party increasingly became in fear and complained to gardai, after which Mr Peavoy was arrested and a file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Garda Chapman agreed with defence solicitor Paddy McGarry that the harassment stopped after his client was charged.
He also accepted that Mr Peavoy, in voluntary care at the Ashlin Centre in Beaumont Hospital, had "significant mental health difficulties".
The accused came to the hearing but was not required to give evidence and did not address the court.
Judge Finan refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case for the DPP to draft a book of evidence.
Mr Peavoy was warned earlier to abide by "onerous" bail conditions. Garda Dave Chapman had told the court the accused replied "not guilty" when charged.
The court previously heard the accused had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
The defence had said the accused had been an inpatient in hospitals in the UK and Ireland but was let down by an "effectively like a revolving door" system.
However, he agreed to avoid the complainant, who has not had to attend the proceedings so far.
Mr Peavoy has been ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with the woman, including by social media, email, post, hand delivery or courier at the Law Library and the Four Courts.
The court has ordered him not to set up any new email addresses and to comply with the advice of medical professionals.
