AN UNEMPLOYED builder has been sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to blackmailing a married woman over footage of the two enjoying intimate moments in his 4x4 vehicle.
Judge Carroll Moran decided to suspend the sentence on Alan Custy (35), Dún na hInse, Ennis, Co Clare, after hearing defence pleas regarding the impact the conviction would have on his life and relationship. Custy also entered a bond that he would have no contact with the injured party and be of good behaviour.
Garda Claire O'Shaughnessy told Ennis Circuit Court that Custy and his victim were both in relationships and met on an internet dating website, smooch.com.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said Custy demanded €15,000 from the woman, or else he would send the footage to her husband after he told her he had secretly filmed them having intimate moments.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said Custy had a partner and was the father of two children from that relationship and one other child from a previous relationship.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said following a complaint from the woman, gardaí searched Custy’s vehicle but found no secret camera. Custy admitted in a Garda interview there was no camera or footage.
Custy pleaded guilty in court to seeking the €15,000 with menaces from the woman between July 14th and July 19th, 2010.
Garda O'Shaughnessy said Custy and the woman – both from Ennis – had registered on connectingsingles.comand smooch.com.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said both the complainant and Custy “admitted that most of the people who use these websites are not single”.
Garda O’Shaughnessy said Custy told the woman he was single, did not have any children, and gave her an address in Ennis which was not his.
Regarding Custy demanding the money, Garda O’Shaughnessy said: “There were several text messages when this money was to be handed over to him and amount required.”
She told the court Custy told her he needed the money to pay the Revenue.
Garda O'Shaughnessy said the two met over a period of 10 days in July 2010 after meeting on the smooch.comwebsite.
She said that in a Garda interview, “Custy at first stated that it was a joke, that he didn’t intend it going this far, that he didn’t intend for it to turn into blackmail”.
She said: “He admitted that he did send the messages, and he did co-operate with us.”
Brian McInerney, for Custy, said: “This is a rather bizarre case, I would respectfully submit. It is highly unusual and a matter involving two attached persons that got out of control. The accused recognises this. He doesn’t know what came over him.
“He shouldn’t have been on the site in the first place. He doesn’t know what took hold of him to lead to this particular exchange of text messages. It has created some considerable difficulties with his partner.”
“Blackmail is an insidious crime,” Judge Moran said: “It is mean and it can have the most appalling consequences for the victim. Fortunately, it doesn’t come before the courts very often. It is a mean-spirited offence, which the courts have to take seriously. This was a nasty thing to do, fortunately it didn’t last for very long.”