Laois farmer jailed for 10 years for campaign of ‘sinister, lewd and depraved’ harassment of niece

A man who subjected his niece to a lengthy campaign of harassment including posting “sinister, lewd and depraved” messages on social media as well as threatening to burn her home down has been jailed for 10 years.

William Phelan (57), a farmer from Paddock, Mountrath, Co Laois, pleaded guilty to two charges of persistently pestering his adult niece through phone calls, voice messages and posts on Facebook on dates between February 15th, 2023, and July 5th, 2023, contrary to Section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

The court heard he had engaged in a series of “derogatory and sexual” posts on social media which became “unhinged” over time, as well as expressing a desire for wanting a sexual relationship with his niece.

However, his victim, who lives just 4.5km from her uncle, stressed that he had never raped or done anything of an inappropriate nature to her physically.

Judge Keenan Johnson said Phelan seemed infatuated with his niece but also got a…

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