Man who carried out campaign of harassment on woman jailed at Cork Circuit Criminal Court

A middle-aged woman who suffered a campaign of harassment by a man who put covert cameras outside her home, burgled her house and took a photograph of her social calendar to see where she would be going said that her self-confidence had been destroyed.

56-year-old Richard Bermingham of Tankardstown, Kilmallock, Limerick, has been jailed for four and a half years with the last year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

He pleaded guilty to harassing the woman, who is aged around 60, from February 14, 2023 to September 2023, and burglary where he entered her property as a trespasser in June of that year.

The facts of the case were outlined by Det Sgt James O’Shea who was later commended by Judge Helen Boyle for the professionalism of the investigation into this harassment.

The victim had an ordinary workplace-type friendship with Richard Bermingham with no question of a relationship or anything of that sort before the harassment began and became even more serious with what the judge described as a litany of offences and a gross invasion of her privacy.

Cameras

Cameras associated with nature habitat observations were placed opposite her house by the accused. He stole her spare keys. He entered her home a number of times, although there was only one trespass/burglary charge. He took photographs of her calendar of upcoming personal events so that he would know where she would be going.

“You entered her home on a number of occasions without her permission. She found a head torch in her property which you later admitted belonged to you.

“She heard a noise coming from the engine of her car and when the bonnet was opened she found photos of a sexually explicit nature under the bonnet of the car,” Judge Boyle said.

On another occasion her way was blocked by his car, road signs near her home were pasted with cut out words which were put together to make messages that she found embarrassing.

She vacated her home for a period to stay in a friend’s house and Richard Bermingham took photographs of her sitting in the friend’s kitchen.

A traffic cone with eyeholes cut out of it was found near her home.

“Unsurprisingly, all of this had a very serious effect on this lady,” Judge Boyle said.

Victim impact statement

Det Sgt O’Shea read the victim impact statement on her behalf: “Before this all happened to me I had no fear living on my own. My life has changed. I have put in security camera in my home and alarms. I have missed work using sick leave and unpaid days – I was never sick before all this.

“My self-esteem, my confidence has been shattered. I have fear of being followed if I go for a walk or there is a car close behind me. I lock the door of my house when I go out to the clothesline. I’m afraid to open the windows in my house.

“I am scared that he was in my house. My privacy was invaded. I’m afraid to sleep in case it would happen again. Any noise I get out of bed to see there is no one in the house.

“I am finding it hard to trust people… I avoid people. This is not the way I was before this. I am constantly afraid that someone will break into my house again or hurt me. Me fear is if and when he comes out. I don’t feel safe to live in my own home on my own.” 

Defence senior counsel Alice Fawsitt presented reports on the accused in which he was described as having obsessive, compulsive tendencies. She said he misjudged the situation and developed this obsession with her and had not comprehension of the effect he was having on her.

Regarding this, Sgt O’Shea said gardaí intervened in June 2023 and told him to stop but the harassment continued.

Ms Fawsitt said there was never a threat of violence, no sexual implications and he never made a pass at the woman, adding that it was acknowledged that “nasty pictures were left in the car.”