Story by the BBC - Enniskillen couple subjected woman to 'unrelenting harassment'
A couple who conducted a "sustained and unrelenting campaign of harassment" against a woman, have been given suspended prison sentences.
Over four years, the victim was subjected to malicious reports and covert surveillance through filming and a listening device.
Her medical records were also illegally accessed in a hospital.
The offences occurred between 2012 and 2016.
Alwyn Magee, 58, and Marie Lindsay, 50, both of Hillview Park, Enniskillen, admitted making false reports to police, the NSPCC and the victim's workplace superiors. In addition, Magee abused his position as a member of staff at South West Acute Hospital to access confidential medical details of the victim and her family, and planted the listening device.
Enniskillen Magistrates Court sitting in Dungannon heard the victim and Magee had a child together but separated in 2010. He had custody two weekends a month, and several afternoons a week.
Harassment commenced the following year, with the victim hounded by both Magee and his partner, Lindsay. During this, he made 28 covert recordings, two of which involved him questioning the child on the victim's movements.
Listening device in schoolbag
In 2015, the victim discovered a listening device in the child's schoolbag, which forensic examination established was activated by dialling a number to "listen in". Calls were traced to Lindsay's phone on 72 occasions, lasting a total of 5 hours 32 minutes. During interview, Magee denied any knowledge of this until presented with telephone records.
He and Lindsay maintained they were concerned for the child's safety, but it emerged he had custody on some of the dates the device was activated.
The court also heard that Lindsay had conducted her own campaign of harassment. She anonymously contacted the NSPCC alleging the victim was physically and emotionally abusing the child, which was fully investigated and dismissed.
An allegation of a fraud was also untrue, as were numerous reports to police.
Fabricated complaints
Lindsay fabricated complaints to the victim's workplace manager, and during one stated she would "let the community know". For several months in 2014, Magee and Lindsay drove past the victim's home at the same time every Sunday.
A tablet owned by the defendants was found to contain recordings of the victim in her workplace.
The offences specific to Magee, involved him accessing the personal medical records of the victim and her family, while he worked as a hospital laboratory assistant. The Western Trust launched an investigation and disciplinary proceedings, but Magee resigned before these were completed.
"In all my years as a judge I have yet to hear such a catalogue of harassment by two individuals against another person. It beggars belief," the judge said.
"Prison is the only sentence and it's on the cusp of immediate custody."
Both were sentenced to five months imprisonment suspended for three years, and placed under Restraining Order, for the same duration.
BBC, July 2020 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-53487545
If you feel you are being harassed, do not hesitate to report it. If you think there may be hidden devices involved then please call us for a confidential discussion on how we can help.