This article is from page 12 of the 2008-02-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A MAN has been acquitted of har- assing his former partner in Shan- non, almost three years ago, at the end of a trial at Ennis Circuit Court. Andrew Mullins (34) of Belfield Gardens, Limerick, and formerly of Kincora Apartments, Shannon, faced one charge of harassment. It was al- leged that he harassed mother-of- two Bernice Galvin at Tullyvarraga and Ballycaseymore, Shannon, on dates between April 4 and 11, 2005. The court heard that the pair had
been in an “extremely stormy” re- lationship for about two years and that Mr Mullins was the father of Ms Galvin’s second daughter who was 19 months old at the time of the al- leged offences.
The relationship had ended in 2004 but Mr Mullins had liberal access to the couple’s daughter.
In her evidence, Ms Galvin said Mr Mullins first approached her at her place of work in Shannon at around Ipm on Monday, April 4, 2005, and that he was extremely agitated.
She said that the accused was roar-
ing at her and she left the shop to speak with him. She said Mr Mul- lins told her he heard Ms Galvin’s brother had held a “big drugs party” at her home on the previous Saturday payhca ole
Ms Galvin also said that later, the defendant had leaned over the coun- ter at the shop where she worked and called her a “drug whore.”
Ms Galvin said she had been out on the night and that her brother had been babysitting her two daughters. When confronted by Mr Mullins about the alleged incident, Ms Galvin
said she would “sort it.”
The court heard evidence of similar alleged incidents over the following days at Ms Galvin’s place of work as well as on the roadway near her mother’s house.
Evidence was also given of a Se- ries of telephone calls between the accused and Ms Galvin which she claimed were also abusive.
Counsel for the State, Stephen Coughlan, told the court the accused had subjected Ms Galvin to a “sus- tained barrage of abuse” and said “if he (Mr Mullins) had valid concerns
about what happened on that Satur- day night, there were other ways of Ole U Epa teans aie 0 Ws | ne
Defending counsel Elaine Houli- han said that because of the genuine concern her client felt for the safety of his daughter, having heard that a drugs party had been held in the house where she was sleeping, he had honestly believed that he had a “‘rea- sonable excuse” to act in the manner WerelmeComenlem
After deliberating for 50 minutes, the jury returned a unanimous ver- dict of ‘not guilty’.