Maíría Cahill’s former partner remanded over harrassment

The former partner of Labour Party Senator Maíría Cahill has been remanded into custody accused of breaching a restraining order.

As well as being accused of breaching the order on September 9th by using the internet, 37-year-old Steven Altimas appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court on Saturday accused of breaching bail conditions.

Mr Altimas, from Jamaica Court in Belfast, was on bail accused of two counts of harassing the alleged IRA rape victim and misusing a communications network to post messages in social media about her on various dates between February 10th and March 9th this year.

His part heard contest on those charges is scheduled to start again on October 5th.

Giving evidence to the court, Constable Miney revealed that Mr Altimas had allegedly used his Twitter account to post a message that breached a court order against him.

The officer further claimed Mr Altimas had posted other messages on Twitter and Facebook despite being ordered to shut his accounts down by the District Judge hearing his trial.

He said police were objecting to bail amid fears that Mr Altimas would reoffend, further revealing that he had numerous and multiple breaches of court orders including non-molestation orders and bail conditions as well as convictions for harassment.

“Police believe that he will not abide by any court order and that he will continue to defy the restraining order and also the bail conditions set,” said the officer.

Defence solicitor Niall O’Neill submitted that Mr Altimas had been in his office when he closed his Twitter account on August 26th and that the “snapshot” of Facebook messages shown to him during police interviews “may offend the hearsay rules...we say that’s not something that will be admissible”.

Mr O’Neill told the court the offences are “entrenchly denied”.

Refusing to release Mr Altimas on bail, District Judge Harry McKibben said given the convictions and breaches of court orders, “I could trust him so I’m not going to release him.”

Mr Altimas will appear again on October 5th when his contest is scheduled to resume.

Last December he was handed a 60 hour community service order and a year on probation after he admitted conducting a campaign of online abuse against Ms Cahill and her father.

As well as the to counts of harassment, Mr Altimas also confessed to publishing material which was intended, or likely, to identify a person involved in separate proceedings.

As well as the combination order, a judge banned Mr Altimas from contacting or posting material about Ms Cahill, who has since been elected in Dublin as a Labour Senator.