Three month sentence after calls to ex-partner

Eamon Joseph McKernan, Marian Avenue, Maghery, appeared in court by videolink from Maghaberry prison.

His barrister said he would be pleading guilty to three charges while two other charges would be withdrawn.

McKernan admitted that between December 5 and December 14, 2017, he pursued a course of conduct which amounted to the harassment of a female. He also pleaded guilty to harassment of a male between December 11 and December 14, 2017, and between October 1 and November 30, 2017, and making a threat to a female to destroy a property, namely a house.

The court heard that an injured party had received 11 calls from an unknown number.

The injured party alleged she had been getting up to 40 calls a day asking about a child they had together.

Defence barrister Aaron Thompson said the offences related to his client’s ex-partner and the mother of his child. He added that when he was on bail McKernan had gone to live in Bangor and claimed she assaulted him so there was a bit of to and fro.

Mr Thompson explained that McKernan was a sentenced prisoner and had a release date in April.

He asked the court not to interfere with his release date.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, imposed a sentence of three months on each of the three charges.

She ordered them to run concurrently with each other and concurrently with the sentence he was serving.