:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/FFU2EZXOLABPL777NHZPKQPGOA.jpg)
A Belfast man who hounded the mother of deceased schoolboy Noah Donohoe in an online campaign involving sectarian and racist comments has been put on probation for two years.
William Logue (44), of Northwood Parade, was also given 75 hours community service, banned from using any social media for five years and ordered to pay £500 compensation to Fiona Donohoe. The judge described him as a “vulture” who landed on the grief Ms Donohoe has endured since Noah’s death.
Logue admitted pursuing a course of conduct which amounted to harassment of Ms Donohoe on Twitter.
Noah (14) was found dead in a north Belfast storm drain in June 2020, six days after he went missing after leaving on his bicycle to meet friends. Ms Donohoe has been pressing for answers regarding the circumstances surrounding his disappearance ever since and is the administrator of a ‘Justice for Noah’ Twitter account.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YG66U2GBZFHNBO7ZWJ46NZAEGU.jpg)
:quality(70):focal(895x570:905x580)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/Z7EGD53NHNBQZMJHM24XEENXOU.jpg)
:quality(70):focal(935x405:945x415)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/IKA3EULCURGXVMSQ3HJMGDTF2M.jpg)
:quality(70):focal(4505x2795:4515x2805)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CY34JQ4LHZCYTA6IL2EPOO7ZSQ.JPG)
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard that she received a number of comments over a period of days in September 2021.
:quality(70):focal(959x701:969x711)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/34JA4SO63ZAEDIWQ2H7CE4LH5U)
‘Sectarian, racist language’
A Crown lawyer said one of these said: “The woman is f****** nuts and unhinged.” Another post stated: “She has had her head filled with Provo b******t.” The prosecutor added that “continued sectarian, racist language was used”.
Police were alerted and arrested Logue in December 2021 after linking the comments to his Twitter account.
He initially denied harassing Ms Donohoe, but pleaded guilty to the charge before proceedings reached trial.
Defence counsel Richard McConkey said his client had heightened mental health issues at the time of the online abuse, but there was “nothing I can say that excuses this behaviour because it is inexcusable”.
Giving little credit for pleading guilty at a late stage in the case, District Judge Chris Holmes indicated his initial reaction was to send Logue to jail for as long as possible. However, the judge decided against a prison sentence which would have led to Logue being freed again in three months time without any supervision.
He accepted the defendant’s mental health problems had contributed to his “appalling” behaviour in sending the “disgusting material”.
With the victim present in court along with supporters, Judge Holmes explained to them that the sentence was aimed at ensuring Logue remains under supervision and prevented further such behaviour happening to anybody else.