Bank official to stay 100 yards from model Gilson
A 27-year-old former bank official who harassed Irish model Glenda Gilson and her family has been given a three month suspended sentence and ordered to stay 100 yards from the victims.
Daniel Rooney, of Castleknock Cottages, Castleknock, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, to harassment of the Gilson family by persistently communicating with Glenda Gilson and her parents Noel and Aileen Gilson by e-mail and telephone at various locations on dates between November 12, 2004 and March 21, 2005.
Defence counsel Mr Luigi Rea BL, said Rooney was underachieving at that time in his life and he had became "jealous and obsessed" about Miss Gilsons progress in her modelling career. He had used his computer skills to "obtain telephone numbers he should not have".
Judge Bryan McMahon said one should not under estimate the "sinister impact these calls from a unknown quarter" can have on their victims but said he would take the mitigating factors into account and treat this as an "aberration".
He said this case was a "a feature of modern technology and mobile phones and the access to people on these phones" and that it was "indicative of the personal data of all citizens" which corporations hold.
Garda Deirdre Conway told Mr Paul Carroll BL, prosecuting, that there had been 49 calls to the family over the five month period. She said the harassment began on November 12, 2004, when Miss Gilsons model agency, Assets, received a call and an e-mail purporting to be from a friend.
It soon became evident that the caller was using a false name as he started shouting abuse about Miss Gilson and her career. Miss Gilson later received abusive calls on the land line at her parents home and also on her mobile. Many of the calls made to Miss Gilson’s home were answered by her parents.
Miss Gilson received an abusive call on November 19, 2004 in which the caller told her to be careful when she was out on her own. The caller, who used an assumed name, made reference to having seen her drinking in a local pub.
On another occasion Miss Gilsons father received a call while at The Foxhunter pub, Lucan from a person who told Mr Gilson he was watching him. In frustration Mr Gilson said "I’ll break your bloody neck" to which the caller replied "I’ll put a bullet in your head".
Mr Carroll said a victim impact statement on Miss Gilson said she had been caused "fear and upset at an unknown person calling her" and Miss Gilsons parents felt anxious for their daughter while she was away.
Rooney became a suspect when Mr Gilson received a call from him on his mobile while abroad in March 2005. Rooneys number was no longer blocked and Mr Gilson was able to call him back. There were no further calls after that date.
Rooney was arrested on May 13, 2005 and immediately admitted making the calls. He said he had thrown away the sim card of the phone he had used for the calls.
Mr Rooney worked for AIB at the time and had been able to access the phone numbers though his work.
Mr Rea said his client offered a full apology to the Gilsons. He said there had been nothing of a sexual nature in the calls and Rooney did not physically accost or stalk any members of the family.
He has subsequently lost his job in AIB and now works in a clothes shop in Dublin on low wages and has suffered significant "adverse publicity".
Judge McMahon imposed a sentence of three months imprisonment suspended for two years and made an order that Rooney should not communicate in any way with or knowingly approach within 100 yards of any member of the Gilson family or their residences.
