Stalker accused was ‘infatuated’ with female

A court has been told that a woman installed CCTV and extra security because she was being repeatedly stalked by a 45-year-old Plumbridge man.

Richard Thomas McFarland of Corickbeg Road has become the first person to be charged under the new Protection from Stalking Act Northern Ireland 2022, which received Royal Assent in April.

He is accused of engaging in a course of conduct amounting to stalking the female which caused her to suffer fear, alarm or substantial distress between June 5 and July 6 and during the same dates breached a Restraining Order by contacting her.

McFarland appeared before Dungannon Magistrates Court by videolink from police custody. He spoke only to confirm his identity and that he understood the charges.

A detective told the court he could connect the defendant to the charges. he said the woman reported to police that McFarland had been sending her messages through a Facebook account and she recognised his profile image due to ongoing harassing behaviour stretching back over a year, for which she had already received a Restraining Order against him.

The woman reported receiving messages consisting of “Love you” and “Will you marry me?” She did not respond to them.

Previously she reported him attending her home address uninvited.

He was spoken to by police and warned not to contact her again.

The detective added, “Undeterred, he continued to contact the injured party on social media creating various accounts, sending pestering messages which included, “Hello (name) darling” and “Keep safe in my arms, please contact me”. In other messages he allegedly called her, “Babes”. At one stage she was blocking six to seven accounts a day.

She became very insecure in her own home, investing in CCTV and additional security measures.

When she declined to engage with the messages, McFarland began contacting her family, including her mother, causing further distress.

He was arrested this week and initially denied sending the messages to the injured party, insisting he understood the terms of the Restraining Order.

Obsession

Police then showed him screenshots of the messages and he admitted he creating the account but continued to deny sending anything to the injured party.

During a police search of his home, two internet-enabled mobile phones were discovered which breached existing terms of bail regarding the same female.

Police opposed bail citing McFarland’s “obsession” with the female and a concern at his continuous behaviour in creating new social media accounts to contact her.

A defence barrister for Farland conceded he is, “Infatuated with the woman and the messages to her were amorous in nature.”

Applying for bail he asked that the defendant get “one last chance to avail of counseling sessions, if that will be of benefit to him”.

Refusing bail District Judge Sean O’Hare said, “No matter what conditions which could be put in place, I’m not satisfied it would be sufficient to prevent offending.

“The injured party must also be protected.”

McFarland will appear back before the Strabane Magistrates Court on August