Woman faces trial over obscene calls to the Áras and the Dáil

A 57-year-old Dublin woman is to stand trial accused of a litany of obscene phone calls to Áras an Uachtaráin and the Dáil.

Anne Fennell of Monastery Gate Green, Clondalkin, has been granted bail by Dublin District Court while prosecutors prepare a book of evidence. She has been warned that she cannot contact members of the Oireacthas, or Áras an Uachtaráin.

The defendant faces 22 charges under the Post Office Act for making grossly offensive phone calls or persistently sending telephone messages that were false and for the purpose of causing annoyance, over a 20-month period.

State solicitor Tom Conlon told Judge Michael Walsh the DPP has directed that Ms Fennell must face trial on indictment.

This means her case will be dealt with at the higher level, in the circuit court which has tougher sentencing powers.

Six garda detectives based in Dublin and Co. Tipperary told the court Ms Fennell made no reply when she was charged.

No plea was entered at the hearing and she was remanded on bail to appear again at the district court on May 29th when it is expected she will be served with the book of evidence.

Judge Walsh imposed bail conditions stating she must sign on twice a week at her local station and provide gardaí with a contact telephone number.

Garda Amy Kelly from Pearse Street, who has charged Ms Fennell with three of the alleged offences, also asked the court for a condition stating she must have “no contact with Dáil Éireann or members of Dáil Éireann”.

The judge agreed and ordered the accused not to contact any member of the Oireacthas or Áras an Uachtaráin. Ms Fennell is alleged to have made an indecent, grossly offensive and obscene call to Dáil Éireann, on November 18th, 2014, and a nuisance call to a named person there the following day.

The 57-year-old, who did not address the court, is also accused of making nine obscene calls to Áras an Uachtaráin on dates in April, October and November last year.  It is alleged that three of the calls were made to the President’s official residence on April 8th last year, and two were made on the previous day.

The woman is also accused of making calls to cause annoyance to the Department of Finance, and the EU Commission offices in Dublin. Other charges involve allegations of nuisance phone messages to four named people at locations in Nenagh and Templemore in Co. Tipperary.

The remaining counts relate to phone calls allegedly sent to named people or locations in Dublin: to Bishop Square in the city-centre, Philipsburg Avenue in Marino, and an An Post office at Oak Road in Dublin 12.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred between March 2013 and November 2014.