Stalker’s obsession caused ‘great deal of distress’ to victim

A PLUMBRIDGE farmer who stalked a woman he had never met by subjecting her to an online campaign of harassment has avoided prison.

Richard McFarland (46), of Corickbeg Road, appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court for sentencing on the charges of stalking and breaching a restraining order.

The Court heard despite having a restraining order being made against McFarland on May 20, 2022, for harassing the injured party – who can’t be named for legal reasons. He breached that order weeks later on June 5.

This happened in the form of the injured party receiving 14 messages from a Facebook account held by the defendant under the name of ‘McFarland Fencing’. The messages contained details of her appearance and her child.

For the next month, the harassment continued with the injured party being bombarded with social media messages saying, “I love you, will you marry me?”

The injured party contacted police and told them she had never met the defendant – let alone know him.

When questioned, McFarland claimed his social media accounts had been “hacked” and even claimed that the injured party’s child was his. A claim refuted by the injured party who again told police that she had never met the defendant.

So obsessed was McFarland with the injured party, he even contacted somebody online who was claiming to be the injured party herself.

However, it was not the injured party but an internet scammer who managed to con McFarland into sending some money online to them.

The Prosecution ended their submission called for a permanent restraining order to be placed on McFarland given the current one expires on May 2024.

The defending solicitor told the court that his client has his own mental health issues and has little education behind him. He added that McFarland lives with his parents and was “needed at home to look after his father” and asked the Judge to consider probation as an alternative to custody.

District Judge Alana McSorley told McFarland, “You developed an obsession with the injured party with your behaviour being persistent which caused a great deal of distress. However, in mitigation, you have your own vulnerabilities.”

McFarland was put on probation for two years with an order to actively participate and co-operate.

A three-year restraining order to not make direct or indirect contact with the injured party was also placed on McFarland.