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The Irish Sun
13 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘I'm glad he's not on the streets', says victim as convicted rapist who threatened 3 female journalists is jailed
A CONVICTED rapist who threatened and harassed three female journalists has been jailed for 11 years. Mark McAnaw, 53, refused to enter a bond before a sitting of Advertisement After Judge Pauline Codd had outlined the conditions attached to the suspended portion of the sentence, McAnaw's counsel Rebecca Smith BL said her client did not wish to enter the bond as he found the conditions 'onerous'. As a result, the judge imposed the full 11-year sentence. Judge Codd also ordered that McAnaw should have no contact either directly or indirectly with the women, should not approach them, go within 10 miles of their homes and workplaces or communicate with them for life. McAnaw, previously of Letterkenny, Co Advertisement Read more in News The court heard McAnaw repeatedly sent the three women emails and messages of a violent and sexually threatening nature, which escalated to him threatening to put a 'bullet' in one of them. He also referred to himself as an ' He also turned up at the offices of the Sunday World on Talbot Street and, when refused entry, he went to a cafe across the road. When gardai approached him there, McAnaw was in the process of writing an email to Ms Tallant. Advertisement Most Read in The Irish Sun McAnaw is currently detained in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH). McAnaw does not accept his diagnosis of schizophrenia and has declined to take medication, the court was told. His previous convictions include the rape of a student in October 2010, for which he was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2012. PREVIOUS CRIMES McAnaw also has a 1989 conviction for kidnapping and convictions for assaults causing actual bodily harm from a court in Northern Ireland in 2011. He also has a conviction for aggravated assault after attacking a woman in her home in April 2018, for which he received a sentence of eight years and four months in June 2023. Advertisement This sentence was backdated to 2018 when he went into custody, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years on strict conditions. McAnaw was released from custody on this sentence in July 2023 – one month before the harassment of the three Sunday World journalists took place. VICTIMS' REACTION Reacting outside court, Ms Reynolds said she was "really shocked and quite happy with the outcome". She added: "I came here today expecting two years, worried that maybe he'd be out on the streets again today, but I'm relieved now at least we won't have to think about it now for at least five years. Advertisement "I think the judge saw what a danger he is to Irish women and applied an appropriate sentence. I'm really grateful to the guards, I think they did a great job securing this conviction. I would ask the question why someone like this is free to harass women in the first place, but hopefully it's something we don't have to think about for a long time." Ms Reynolds continued: "I don't think that's really acceptable that I have to go to work and think about somebody sitting at home, fantasising about what they are going to do to me, or put a bullet in my head like this man threatened. "It's strange to see yourself described as a victim and I'm conscious today that this man has victims out there that went through the most horrific crimes you could commit against women. For all of our sakes, I'm glad he's not on the streets." 'SICK MAN' Ms Brunker added: "It's been very scary to have somebody threaten to kill you. He's a sick man and I'm very grateful that the judge was empathetic to our case and the women in Ireland. Advertisement "It's an amazing day, I'm just very grateful that we are going to see him put away for a long time as he is a very dangerous man. "The sentence was very strong. Not everybody is as lucky as we were today, but it doesn't change the fact that he is a very dangerous man. He's where he needs to be right now." 1 Mark McAnaw has been jailed for 11 years. Credit: Collect image through journalist
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Rapist who threatened three Sunday World journalists jailed for 11 years
A convicted rapist who threatened and harassed three female Sunday World journalists has been jailed for 11 years. Mark McAnaw (53) refused to enter a bond before a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court which would have suspended the final 12 months of the 11-year sentence imposed for the harassment of Nicola Tallant, Amanda Brunker and Deirdre Reynolds. After Judge Pauline Codd had outlined the conditions attached to the suspended portion of the sentence on Thursday, McAnaw's counsel Rebecca Smith said her client did not wish to enter the bond as he found the conditions 'onerous'. As a result, the judge imposed the full 11-year sentence. Judge Codd also ordered that McAnaw should have no contact either directly or indirectly with the women, should not approach them, go within 10 miles of their homes and workplaces or communicate with them for life. READ MORE McAnaw, previously of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty to the harassment of the three women on various dates in August 2023. The court heard McAnaw repeatedly sent them emails and messages of a violent and sexually threatening nature, which escalated to him threatening to put a 'bullet' in one of them. He also referred to himself as an 'IRA Top Boy'. He also turned up at the offices of the Sunday World on Talbot Street in Dublin and, when refused entry, he went to a cafe across the road. When gardaí approached him there, McAnaw was in the process of writing an email to Ms Tallant. McAnaw is detained in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH). McAnaw does not accept his diagnosis of schizophrenia and has declined to take medication, the court was told. His previous convictions include the rape of a foreign student in Donegal in October 2010, for which he was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2012. McAnaw also has a 1989 conviction for kidnapping and convictions for assaults causing actual bodily harm from a court in Northern Ireland in 2011. He also has a conviction for aggravated assault after attacking a woman in her home in April 2018, for which he received a sentence of eight years and four months in June 2023. This sentence was backdated to 2018 when he went into custody, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years on strict conditions. McAnaw was released from custody on this sentence in July 2023 – one month before the harassment of the three journalists took place. Ms Smith said her client instructs that he found it difficult to abide by the conditions attached to the suspended portion of the sentence imposed in 2023. A handwritten letter from McAnaw was also handed to the court, which Judge Codd described as 'concerning'. Judge Codd outlined a global sentence of 11 years, with the final 12 months to be suspended on strict conditions for five years. These included that McAnaw remain under probation supervision for five years, comply with his medical regime, refrain from the use of illicit substances and make available any internet-enabled devices when requested by gardaí. The judge backdated the sentence to August 2023, when McAnaw went into custody. Ms Brunker and Ms Reynolds were present in court when the sentence was imposed. Judge Codd commended the three women for their resilience and courage throughout the process and wished them well for the future.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Man jailed for sexual assaults at Lough Derg pilgrimage site
A worker at the Lough Derg pilgrimage site who duped unsuspecting women and teenagers into helping him at the retreat so he could sexually assault them has been jailed for a total of four years. Tomas Gallagher (42) preyed on female victims by asking them to help him repair washing machines and tumble dryers during a series of terrifying incidents at the renowned religious setting. Advertisement Details of the plans hatched by Gallagher were outlined before Letterkenny Circuit Court last week. Gallagher had pleaded to seven charges in all, four for sexual assaults of adults, two for sexual assault on children and one charge of invitation to a child to sexually touch. On Wednesday, having considered reports on Gallagher as well as the statements from his victims, Judge John Aylmer jailed the father-of-one for five years with the last 12 months suspended. He said the crimes, as outlined in the case, were "egregious acts of violence in a sacred place of pilgrimage." Advertisement He told Gallagher that his crimes were "deceitful" and "premeditated" and that he placed them in the mid-range for such offences and which merited a sentence of seven years before mitigation. In mitigation, he noted an early plea, the fact that the accused had no previous convictions, and that he appeared to be remorseful and ashamed of his actions. Judge Aylmer also noted that Gallagher had undertaken 24 counselling sessions, that he was fully cooperative and that he had been ostracised in the local community. Taking the totality factor into account and that all sentences will run concurrently, Judge Aylmer said he was reducing the overall sentence to one of five years. Advertisement He then added that with regard to all efforts to encourage rehabilitation and the fact that it needs to be encouraged, he suspended the final twelve months of that sentence, meaning Gallagher will serve four years in prison. He is also to go under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months. Gallagher, from Rathanlacky, Dunkineely, Co Donegal, pleaded to a total of seven charges against five different women at the holy island on the shores of Lough Derg. He pleaded to six charges of sexual assault at St Patrick's Purgatory. Advertisement These offences are contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. He also pleaded that in the same period and location, he did attempt, by inviting, inducing, counselling or inciting a child to sexual touching. This offence is contrary to Section 4 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017. The victims, who cannot be named to protect their identity, ranged in age from their early teens to more mature women in their later years. All of the offences took place in 2022 when Gallagher worked both as a maintenance man at the retreat, as well as driving a boat taking pilgrims to and from the island. Advertisement Barrister for the State, Fiona Crawford BL and investigating Garda Joanna Doherty outlined the details of the incidents. Statements given to gardaí by the victims told how Gallagher had approached them, asking them to come into a laundry room as he needed help fixing various machines. The statements outlined how the unsuspecting women were asked to reach behind them into the machines while Gallagher fixed a "pipe." The women thought they were holding a pipe but instead they were gripping the accused man's penis. On one occasion, Gallagher told one of his victims to twist the pipe like she was 'revving a motorcycle.' Gallagher told another victim that the "pipe" would be soft and moist. An older victim was approached by Gallagher who asked her to reach behind a dishwasher and hold a pipe but she 'knew immediately it was no pipe' as it was warm and soft and felt like a penis. The woman couldn't see it, but the shocked woman jumped back and shouted, 'What the f*** is that?' The woman didn't tell anybody else about the incident that day but felt upset and did later tell her daughter about what had happened. On another occasion, Gallagher asked a young teenage girl to help him with a washing machine and asked her to hold a "pipe". She grabbed the "pipe" and he told her to 'hold it there' as he chatted to her about school. However, the girl told how the pipe didn't feel like plastic but was warm and had a rubbery texture and that it felt sticky or sweaty. Another teenager told in her statement how Gallagher asked him to assist her with a tumble dryer and told her to put her hand behind a wooden board and he got her to hold something. He told the girl to hold the "pipe" harder and then to loosen it and then to increase her grip before he said 'yeah, that's fine.' The young woman then said the pipe was "squishy, wet and warm" and when she stood up she saw Gallagher's penis sticking out from the zipper of his trousers. One young woman eventually came forward and told a person in charge what had happened, which led to others coming forward and making complaints of a similar nature against Gallagher. Gallagher was interviewed by gardaí on three occasions and initially denied anything untoward had happened. During one interview with Detective Garda Paul McHugh, Gallagher admitted asking one woman to hold a pipe on a tumble dryer as it had been leaking. He claimed the woman had got up and left for no apparent reason and he had been left nervous and embarrassed by the incident. However, he later admitted the offences and entered a guilty plea. Victim impact statements from the women were read out in court while two young women chose to read out their own statements. One young woman fought back tears as she told how, despite being the victim, she felt ashamed and disgusted by what had happened and often thinks about if she could have stopped this from happening to other women. She added that she often thinks about Gallagher's son and that she prays that he is safe. An older victim said she feels vulnerable and intimidated by what had happened and that she is sorry that she did not speak up sooner but was afraid that people would laugh at her or not believe her. Another victim told how she was a student but failed her exams because she became depressed after Gallagher's assault on her. However, she later completed her exams and was proud of herself and was determined not to allow her attacker to ruin her life further, but still feels he stole something from her. A teenage victim said she has been forced to attend counselling because of anxiety and that she is now always on edge and simply cannot trust men. She decided not to come to court as she feared that seeing Gallagher again would trigger her anxiety. Another woman, who now lives abroad and gave her evidence by videolink, told how she lives in an apartment with a lift and if a man gets into the lift she can't stop thinking 'what if?' She said she realises that she should not tar all men with the same brush but Gallagher's attack had made her an angrier, wearier and a meaner person as a result. She added that she does feel disgusted by what had happened, but sometimes feels glad that he had chosen her and that she had alerted the authorities to what was happening, as she hated to think what number of victims there might have been. Gallagher took to the witness stand and said he wanted to apologise to his victims. He said he 'truly regretted' his actions and was sorry for the hurt and pain he had caused his victims and their families. Asked by his barrister, Mr Colm Smyth, SC, if he realised this was a huge breach of trust, Gallagher replied that he did. He also revealed that he had engaged in 24 counselling sessions to better understand the impact his actions have had on others. Mr Smyth said his client accepted full responsibility for his actions, that he had now lost his employment and had become a pariah in the local community because of the publicity surrounding the case. He added the fact that the offences took place in a sacred place, a place of pilgrimage for Christian people going back many centuries, also had to be acknowledged. Mr Smyth suggested to Judge John Aylmer that there also has to be 'light at the end of the tunnel' for Gallagher, asking him to consider his client's remorse, his blameless life up until now and his guilty plea. The Prior of Lough Derg, Monsignor La Flynn, apologised on behalf of the pilgrimage following the jailing of Gallagher. Monsignor Flynn said he wished to express his deep sorrow that such abuse took place against members of staff there, including a minor. He said that he wished to apologise to those victims unreservedly for the hurt they have suffered and assure them of the retreat's support at this time. He said that during 2022, both himself and the then operations manager at Lough Derg were made aware of allegations of sexual assault by a staff member at that time. In accordance with their safeguarding policies and procedures, the allegations were immediately reported to An Garda Síochána for investigation, he said. Ireland Man admits range of sexual assault charges against... Read More "The member of staff was suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. He since voluntarily resigned his employment." The Diocese of Clogher, of which Lough Derg is a constituent part, and the Management of Lough Derg, are fully committed to adhering to the highest standards, practices, policies and procedures for safeguarding and, also, to cooperating with the statutory authorities in all such cases, he added. "If anyone else has a concern or complaint, either now or from the past, I encourage them to come forward and contact both the diocese and the statutory authorities via the following numbers," he said. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help .
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Hospital overcrowding: Almost 420 people on trolleys
The latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) show 419 people waiting for trolleys in hospitals. 277 patients are waiting in the emergency department, while 142 are in wards elsewhere in the hospital. Advertisement The hospital with the highest number of patients waiting for a bed is University Hospital Limerick, with 93 patients on trolleys. 37 people are in the emergency department, with 56 elsewhere in the hospital. At University Hospital Galway, there are 51 people on trolleys, with 34 people in the emergency department. At Letterkenny University Hospital and St Vincent's University Hospital, there is 26 people in each hospital waiting for a bed.
Engadget
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
The latest Xbox kitchen kitsch is a Series X milk jug for Canadians
We've seen a few Xbox-styled kitchen items over the last few years, from the Series X fridge to the Series S toaster. The latest one is probably not one for those of you in the US. Over the weekend, Xbox Canada revealed a Xbox Series X bagged milk pitcher styled after the Xbox Series X. Milk in a bag is a long-standing tradition in Canada, India, South America and several other parts of the world. The idea is that you plop a bag into a pitcher, cut off the corner and pour away, all the while taking great care not to spill any. There are practical benefits, such as bags taking up less space in garbage or recycling. But containers for bagged milk are typically boring white jugs. At least until now. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. The Xbox Series X Milk Pitcher comes in white or black and it can hold up to 1.3 liters ( fine , if you insist, 2.75 pints) of bagged milk. That should give you enough fuel for your next Halo Infinite deathmatch battle or adventure in the Oblivion remaster. Sadly, there's no word as yet if Xbox Canada is going to sell this thing or if it's just a fun marketing gimmick. I get it, bagged milk confused me too before my first visit to Canada as a teen. But milk in a bag is as Canadian as poutine, Letterkenny , hockey games on frozen ponds and The Beaches. As one of Engadget's Canadian contingent, it's my civic duty to test this out. My email's in my bio, Xbox.
