Strabane stalker vows to leave Ireland after prison release

A MAN convicted of stalking a Strabane woman has vowed to leave Ireland after serving his prison sentence, a court has heard.

At Strabane Magistrates Court on Thursday, 43-year-old Tomasz Jabkiewicz, of Cahan Court, Strabane, was sentenced to five months imprisonment for the offence.

The court heard that in early 2024 the stalking behaviour began, with the defendant attending the victim’s home uninvited and attempting to add the woman on social media, despite being told to stay away.

On other occasions Jabkiewicz turned up to the woman’s place of work and waited for her in the foyer to confront her as she left for the day.

Later in the year Jabkiewicz discovered that the victim had entered a relationship with another man and became jealous, prompting him to contact the woman’s family and ‘bad mouth her’.

He continued his stalking behaviour and continued to show up at the woman’s place of work. The terrified victim began asking her work colleagues and friends to escort her out of the building to avoid the confrontation.

Jabkiewicz went as far as contacting the woman’s father, telling them he and the victim would ‘be good together’.

On the last occasion of stalking he turned up at the woman’s house, which was now fitted with CCTV due to Jabkiewicz’s behaviour, and brought flowers and wine, asking to come in.

At this point the terrified victim contacted police, who then arrested Jabkiewicz. At interview, the defendant denied the allegations.

Defence counsel Joe McCann said that the 43-year-old had no previous criminal record and had been living in Northern Ireland since 2008.

Mr McCann said that Jabkiewicz’s behaviour was ‘totally inappropriate’, and said that the defendant admitted in interview that he understood how frightened the victim was by his ‘unwanted presence’.

However he added that there was no violence or threats made in his behaviour.

Mr McCann said that while the custody threshold was passed, Jabkiewicz had already served four months on remand. He added that the defendant intended to return home to Poland after he served his sentence.

District judge Oonagh Mullan said that it was a ‘serious offence’ that caused ‘great distress’ to the injured party.

Judge Mullan sentenced Jabkiewicz to five months in custody and imposed a 12 month restraining order in favour of the victim.