John McGrotty leaving Letterkenny courthouse after being barred from Donegal until his next appearance in June. (North West Newspix)
A deaf man has been ordered to stay out of Co Donegal until he is sentenced for harassing a doctor and his family.
John McGrotty, 65, appeared before Falcarragh District Court yesterday just days after a Judge told him to stay away from Dr Dara McEniff, his wife Eimear and their children.
The court had heard how McGrotty had subjected the family from Dungloe to a five year reign of terror.
As well as standing in his front lawn naked, McGrotty is accused of throwing rusty nails onto the McEniff’s driveway, using a hose to spray their cars with water, using obscene finger gestures to the couple’s children and shouting obscenities at them.
McGrotty, of St Peter’s Terrace, Chapel Road, Dungloe, had pleaded guilty to harassing the couple when he appeared at Dungloe District Court on Wednesday last.
The court heard Mrs McEniff at one stage saw stalker John McGrotty standing naked in his front room as she had to pass his house going to and from her own.
The family’s baby-sitter Anne O’Donnell also saw him naked in his front room.
Garda Dermot Gallen told Judge Paul Kelly he could not say why McGrotty, of St Peter’s Terrace, Chapel Road, Dungloe, was stalking the family.
Dr Dara McEniff and wife Eimear leaving Letterkenny courthouse. (North West Newspix)
The original charges to which McGrotty pleaded guilty there were up to 35 instances of alleged harassment still being considered by the Director of Public Prosecutions and court action could follow.
Future charges could include two of the McEniff children, an 11-year-old and a six year-old, being frightened by McGrotty when he stared at one of them and put a finger up in front of another
Dr Dara McEniff kept a log-book of incidents between July 11 and December 11, 2014 which showed that on different occasions he pointed his finger at Mrs McEniff and walked directly in front of Dr McEniff as he drove through the estate.
Judge Kelly: “This family has suffered horrendously since July 2013 almost up to last October. That is way out of the type of thing you might expect.”
He added: “It’s terrible that young children on the way to school are afraid to walk past a neighbour’s house. That is intolerable.”
McGrotty admitted harassing and stalking Dara and Eimear McEniff and their family at Pairc Naomh Anna, Chapel Rd, Dungloe, between July 7, 2014 and December 11, 2014.
He also admitted harassing and stalking Eimear McEniff at St Peter’s Terrace between August 1, 2013, and July 24, 2014.
Judge Kelly said he was anxious to ensure the harassment wouldn’t continue while he awaited a probation report and a victim impact statement.
He instructed McGrotty not to pass the McEniff children’s school when it is open.
Through an interpreter, McGrotty swore he had stopped the harassment and that all he wanted was a peaceful and calm life.
Judge Kelly then adjourned the case until September 13th and warned McGrotty that if he breached his oath he would be in contempt of court and could face a custodial sentence.
But McGrotty was brought to court again yesterday after Mrs McEniff complained that she had been harassed by the accused yet again on Friday last.
She revealed how she was driving towards her house in Dungloe when McGrotty stood in front of her in the roadway and began to shout at her with his fist clenched as a funeral cortege was passing by.
Gardai revealed how McGrotty had now regularly taken it upon himself to direct traffic at funerals even though the local priest had asked him to stop.
Mrs McEniff revealed how she was shocked to see the accused standing in the middle of the road beside her house last Friday.
” I was really shocked to see him on that road. You had instructed him to stay off the road as it is the road the children’s school is on. He got very aggressive and was waving his arms and making all sorts of gestures.
“I pulled car in and put my head down. He walked towards the car and was ver aggressive. I put my head down and I saw him at the side of my eye. I moved off and went home. It’s about 50 metres from school playground and it was midday,” she said.
She pleaded with Judge Kelly to act on the matter as her family had been through a living nightmare for the past five years.
Judge Kelly was told that a sign language interpreter could not be made available for yesterday’s (WED) court sitting and McGrotty’s solicitor Patsy Gallagher said he needed an interpreter for his client to give evidence.
Judge Kelly said he had made a decision to order McGrotty to live outside of Donegal with his daughter in Glasnevin in Dublin.
He asked that a letter be written by the court service instructing McGrotty of his decision.
“I will remand him on bail for sentencing. I want it made clear to him that he is to leave Donegal and not to come back under any circumstances apart from a meeting with the mental health services. If he is Donegal he will be lifted and remanded in custody,” he said.
He adjourned the case until June 14th.
And he warned that if McGrotty does go anywhere near Dungloe – “Gardai bring him back to me if he does.”